What do plant need to live. Plants are the natural lungs of the earth. They clean the environment and provide oxygen for humans to live. Along with oxygen, they provide food and nutrients that make us healthy.
What do plant need to live
In the same way, the plant also needs essentials that make them alive and healthy. All the plants need sunlight, air, water, and nutrients to live, survive and reproduce.
All of them are considered essential requirements for plant living. Each of the factors is responsible for healthy growth and plant survival.
Almost all plants need four essential requirements to live and survive:
- Sun Light
- Air
- Water
- Nutrients
Let’s discuss the importance of each of the factors.
Sunlight
Plants’ main requirement is sunlight to carry out the process of photosynthesis.
The sun is the ultimate source of light that is converted to chemical energy in plants.
Plants can also opt for artificial light.
Photosynthesis
- The process of photosynthesis allows the plant to produce energy and food.
- It occurs in the green parts of the plants that contain chlorophyll.
- The chlorophyll traps the sunlight energy and utilizes it to convert carbon dioxide and water to a sugar called glucose.
- Glucose acts as food and provides energy to the plants.
- Glucose is converted to cellulose and starch.
- These substances help plant growth.
- The cellulose makes the cell wall rigid while the Starch gets stored in the seeds and other parts of the pants. The stored starch acts as a food source for humans and animals.
- Glucose is made in the chloroplast that contains chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a necessary pigment that absorbs the required amount of sunlight.
The overall general reaction of photosynthesis ;
CO2 + 2H2O + sunlight→ CH2O + O2 + H2O
Abbreviations
- CO2= carbon dioxide
- H2O= water molecule
- CH2O= carbohydrate
- O2= oxygen molecule
Balanced reaction
6CO2 + 12H2O + (trapped sunlight) → C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O
Limited Sunlight
- If the plant is not provided with desired sunlight, it will affect photosynthesis and no energy will be produced.
- The plant may lose its integrity and will retard the growth.
Increased Sunlight
- Intense and long-term sunlight may damage the delicate plants.
- They may turn outburn.
- The plant will dry up soon.
There are a variety of plants and all require different light requirements. Some of them need bright and direct light. Others need dim and indirect sunlight.
Air
Air is also enlisted as the main requirement for the plants to live. The air is made up of a variety of gases.
Air Gases
- Nitrogen
- Oxygen
- carbon dioxide
- water vapor
The main requirement is carbon dioxide that is utilized in the process of photosynthesis.
Water
- Another essential requirement for Plants is the proper supply of water.
- The water is absorbed by the plants and is chemically involved in the photosynthesis process.
- The water molecules reach chloroplast and carry out their function by reacting with light and carbon dioxide to form glucose
- Water also provides nutrients to the plants. The nutrients in the soil are taken up by the plant through the water.
Less Watering
This may be because the plant dries up, wilts, droops, and will limit the process of photosynthesis.
Over Watering
Excess water can rot the plant’s roots.
Nutrients
Nutrients are the substances required by plants to nourish.
The prime minerals for healthy plant growth include
- Nitrogen
- Sulfur
- Iron
- Phosphorous
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Calcium
Trace Amounts
- Manganese
- Copper
- Chlorides
They opt in the formation of
- DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid
- RNA Ribonucleic acid
- Amino Acids
- Proteins
- Enzymes
Conclusion
Plants are the natural lungs of the earth. They clean the environment and provide oxygen for humans to live. Along with oxygen, they provide food and nutrients that make us healthy.
In the same way, the plant also needs essentials that make them alive and healthy. All the plants need sunlight, air, water, and nutrients to live, survive and reproduce.
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