CAS GE 100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Growing Season, Limiting Factor, Biological Pump
12 Apr 2016
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Nitrogen is an important component of proteins (made up of amino acids) Autotrophs get energy in an inorganic form while heterotrophs get it in an organic form: most plants use nitrate (no3) and phosphate (po4) Vascular plants have a well developed system of conducting tissue to transport water, mineral salts, and sugars and absorb nutrients dissolved in water from soil through roots. As water evaporates from transpired leaves, it pulls water up from the roots to the rest of the plant. The redfield ratio is the proportion of n and p needed by autotrophs. The nutrient that is in least supply relative to the quantity required is called the limiting factor: not always the nutrient in the smallest quantity. Animals obtain nutrients through absorption>organic molecules are broken into smaller building blocks (digestion)>reassembled into proteins or carbohydrates. Some forms of nutrients cannot be digested by certain animals (humans cannot digest celery)
