BISC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Phototropin, Stoma, Nitrifying Bacteria
7 Jul 2016
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Document Summary
Plants need co2, h2o, light, and nutrients from the soil. 95% of plants weight is carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen, but they need 17 essential nutrients in small amounts. Macronutrients: major components of complex molecules vs. micronutrients: minor components of complex molecules. Both are important to healthy plant growth: ex. Copper deficiency (a micronutrient) causes extreme stunted growth of plant. Genetically engineered plants may be able to tell farmers what they are deficient in. Soil: a dynamic mixture of physical and chemical characteristics (biological/chemical) Great plains dust bowl (1930"s) - replacement of hardy natural grasses with wheat = massive soil erosion (problem of soil conservation) Soil quality determines crop yields, which requires soil conservation. Healthy soil is required for plants, but plants are also essential for healthy soils (decomposition of organic matter to soil) Negatively charged particles from soil are bonded to cations so they are not leached away. Leaching = loss of nutrients from soil (occurs due to rainwater)
