ELEMENT |
TYPICAL AMOUNT IN WHEAT PLANTS (mg/g dry matter) |
USE IN PLANTS |
DEFICIENCY EFFECTS |
Nitrogen |
40 |
Amino acids and proteins |
Poor growth, yellow leaves |
Sulphur |
3 |
Proteins |
Yellow leaves |
Phosphorus |
3 |
Nucleic acids and ATP |
Poor growth, leaves dull green with curly brown edges |
Potassium |
35 |
Helps protein and chlorophyll formation, & resistance to disease |
Yellow edges to leaves, die early |
Calcium |
3 |
Cell formation |
Poor buds, stunted growth |
Magnesium |
2 |
Needed for chlorophyll formation |
Yellow leaves |
Iron |
0.1 |
Needed for chlorophyll formation |
Yellow leaves |
WHERE TRANSPORT OCCURS |
SUBSTANCES TRANSPORTED |
METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION |
DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT |
REASON FOR MOVEMENT |
Soil to root hair |
Water and soluble nutrients |
Osmosis and active transport |
Into plant |
To provide water required for photo-synthesis, to provide turgidity necessary to open stomata for gas exchange and transpiration |
Root hair to root cortex |
As above |
Osmosis through cell cytoplasm and vacuoles |
Into plant |
As above |
Root cortex to xylem |
As above |
Diffusion through cell wall pores and inter-cellular air spaces |
Into vascular bundle (Xylem) |
As above |
VASCULAR BUNDLES (a) xylem to leaf cells containing chlorophyll |
As above |
Osmosis, diffusion, transpiration pull, root pressure |
Upwards to leaves |
To provide water to cells in leaf (Mesophyll) that contain chlorophyll for photosynthesis |
(b) phloem to cells containing mitochondria |
Soluble inorganic ions, organic material (sucrose and amino acids) |
Active transport |
Up and down |
To provide nutrients to cells for respiration |
Cells to stomata |
Water and carbon dioxide |
Diffusion |
Out of plant |
Reduces carbon dioxide concentration in plant and remove water (by-product of respiration) |