CHAPTER - 1

NUTRITION IN PLANTS
 Synthesis of food other than carbohydrate by
plants
The soil has some bacteria (Rhizobium)which convert nitrogen from
the air into usable nitrogen in the soil. Plant absorb these nitrogen
along with water to get nitrogen.
Farmers also add fertilizers containing nitrogen into the soil. Plants
absorb this nitrogen from the soil along with water and other
constituents to prepare proteins and fats.
Heterotrophic Nutrition in plants:-
i) Parasitic plants :- are plants which do not have chlorophyll and
cannot prepare their own food. They get their food from other plants
called host .
For eg:-
1. Dodder plant suck food from another plant using root like
structures. Such plants are called PARASITES. The plant from
which parasite gets its food is HOST.

2. Mistletoe plant grows on trees such as mango have green leaves

and can synthesize their food. They take water and minerals from
the host plant. They are known as PARTIAL PARASITES.
DODDER PLANT
Cuscuta or amarbel
MISTLETOE- Partial parasitic
• Insectivorous plants :- are plants which feed on insects. Eg:-
Pitcher plant, Venus flytrap.

PITCHER PLANT
• The leaf of the pitcher plant is modified into a pitcher. The end of
the pitcher has a lid which can open and close.
• Inside the pitcher there are hairs pointing downwards. When an
insect enters the pitcher, the lid closes.
• The insect is then digested by digestive juices secreted by the
cells of the pitcher.

• VENUS FLYTRAP and PITCHER plant grow in soil that is not so rich.
They use the nutrition obtained from insects to supplement the
food they prepare by PHOTOSYNTHSIS.
Pitcher plant
VENUS FLYTRAP
• iii) Saprotrophs :- are plants which do not have chlorophyll and
cannot prepare their on food. They get their food from dead and
decaying organic matter. Eg :- mushroom, bread mould etc. They
produce digestive juice on the dead and decaying organic matter and
convert it into a solution and then absorb the nutrients from the
solution.
 iv) Symbiotic relationship :- Some plants live together and share
shelter and nutrients. Eg :- lichens. In lichens, an alga and a fungus
live together. The fungus provides shelter, water and minerals to the
alga. The alga provides food to the fungus which it prepares by
photosynthesis.
7) How nutrients are replenished in the soil :-
Plants absorb nutrients from the soil. So the nutrients in the soil
decreases. So farmers add manures and fertilisers to the soil to
increase the nutrients in the soil.
The bacterium called rhizobium which lives in the roots of
leguminous plants like grams, peas, beans etc. converts nitrogen from
the air into soluble form in the soil and makes the soil rich in nitrogen.
In return the plant provides food and shelter to the bacteria. So they
have a symbiotic relationship.
Activity – 1 :-
To show that sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis :-
Take two potted plants of the same kind. Keep one in
sunlight and the other in a dark room for 2 – 3 days. Then
take a leaf from both the plants and test for starch.
Put the leaves in a test tube. Pour some spirit in it and put
the test tube in a beaker containing water. Boil the water till
all the green colour in the leaves comes out into the spirit.
Then take the leaves and wash it in water. Put the leaves on
a dish and pour some iodine solution over it.
The leaf of the plant kept in sunlight turns blue black. The
leaf of the plant kept in the dark does not turn blue black.
This shows that sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis.
Activity – 2 :-
To observe the fungus bread mould in in bread :-
Take a piece of bread and moisten it with water. Leave it
in a warm place for 2 – 3 days till fluffy patches appear on
them. Observe the patches under a magnifying glass or
microscope. Cotton like threads are seen on the bread.
The cotton like threads are the fungus bread mould.
Bread mould is a saprotroph. Saprotrophs get their food
from dead and decaying organic matter