(CHAPTER 6) PLANT NUTRITION

Coursebook highlights

Storing, to use later

Plants usually make much more glucose than they need to use for
energy immediately. They store it by turning it into starch, The starch
molecules can quickly and easily be broken down to glucose molecules
again when the plant needs them.

Making sucrose, for transport

Plants can only make glucose in the parts that contain chlorophyll,
which usually means the leaves. All the other parts of the plant have
glucose delivered to them. Plants, however, do not actually transport
glucose. They first change it into a sugar with larger molecules, called
sucrose. The sucrose is carried from one part of the plant to another
inside tubes called phloem tubes.
When the sucrose reaches its destination, it can be changed back to
glucose again, and used in respiration to release energy.

Every cell needs a cell wall, so a growing plant must make cellulose
molecules to form these walls.
Making nectar, to attract pollinators
the male gametes of flowers cannot move themselves from place to
place. Instead, they rely on insects, bats or birds to carry them, inside
pollen grains, flowers produce nectar that animals can feed on. Nectar
contains different kinds of sugar, all made from the glucose that the
plant has made by photosynthesis, and insects help the flower by
pollinating it (they are unaware!).

Making amino acids, to make proteins

Plants use some of the glucose made in photosynthesis to make amino
acids. These amino acids can then be used to make proteins, for
growth, plants need a source of nitrogen. They get this from the soil, in
the form of nitrate ions, If a plant cannot get enough nitrate ions, it will
not be able to synthesise proteins effectively, and so will not grow
quickly or strongly.

Making other substances, e.g. chlorophyll

Plants therefore need to take in magnesium ions, as well as nitrate ions,
to make chlorophyll. Without these ions, the plant’s leaves will look
yellow rather than the green we would expect when there is plenty of
chlorophyll present. If a plant cannot make lots of chlorophyll, it will
not be able to photosynthesise well, and therefore will not grow well.