Lecture AP Biology Chapter 37 Plant nutrition

Ch. 37 Warm-Up
1.

What conclusions should we draw from van
Helmont’s experiment?

2.

Where would you expect a deficiency of a
relatively immobile element to be seen first in
a plant? (pg. 756)

3.

What are the possible consequences of selling
off water rights to cities and developments?


Chapter 37
Plant Nutrition


What you need to know:
Mutualistic relationships between plant
roots and the bacteria and fungi that
grow in the rhizosphere help plants
acquire important nutrients.
 Nonmutualistic nutritional adaptations
enable plant survival in adverse habitats.


Nutritional Requirements
Essential element: required for plant to
complete life cycle and produce another
generation
 Macronutrients (large amounts): CHNOPS
+ K, Ca, Mg
◦ Nitrogen = most important!
 Micronutrients (small amounts): Fe, Mn,
Zn, Cu, etc.




Mutualistic Relationships:
Rhizobium bacteria supply nitrogen at roots
(fix atmospheric N2 to usable N)

1.

•
1.

Plant supplies sugar & amino acids
Mycorrhizae (plant + fungus)


Role of soil bacteria in the nitrogen
nutrition of plants

Unusual nutritional adaptations:
epiphytes, parasitic plants, canivorous
plants

Epiphyte: grow on another plant, absorb H2O
from rain through leaves


Parasitic Plants: not photosynthetic; absorb
sugar and minerals from living hosts


Carnivorous Plants: photosynthetic, but obtain
some nitrogen and minerals by digesting small
animals