ISP logo



You can search below or click on a science area to find information for your research question:

What Plants Need to Grow

Have you ever wondered how things grow? Matter cannot be created out of nothing. So, for plants and animals (including people) to grow and to replace cells that have died, the plants/animals need to take in matter. Where does this matter come from?

leaf_tree_penguinmotherandchick

The number one MAJOR source of materials for plants to grow is carbon dioxide, which plants get from the air! Most of the atoms that plants are made of come from carbon dioxide molecules in the air that become different types of molecules during chemical reactions in photosynthesis!


What else (besides CO2 and water) do plants need to grow? Another source of matter for plants is minerals (made of atoms/molecules) that plants get from the soil. These minerals that plants take in will help build the new cells in plants. These minerals also provide some of the energy needed to make different kinds of cells in plants.


Plant_diagram

Nutrients in soil, including the elements Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K), dissolve in water when it rains and are able to enter the roots of the plant. These nutrients travel to different parts of the plant, including the stem, leaves, and branches, where they are used by the plants as materials and energy to build and repair cells.

Carbon dioxide from the air is a very important part of plants. Many people do not realize that most of the atoms that make up plants come from carbon dioxide in the air!

What do these minerals (N, P, and K) do?


Sources of Energy in Plant/Animal Cells

Where exactly do plants and animals get the energy to repair cells and build new cells? Remember that energy is not a different kind of substance from the different types of atoms in the periodic table. Energy is (a) the actual motion of particles (atoms, molecules) or (b) the potential for greater motion of particles.

ATP molecules. A key source of energy is the molecule ATP (C10H16N5O13P3),  Adenosine Tri-Phosphate. ATP is critical for plants and animals in performing cellular work such as repairing cells and building new ones, including leave, flower, and seed cells. 

    
Q1: Which of the following is the most accurate explanation for the role of glucose in plant growth?
a) Glucose makes parts of the plant (stems, leaves, roots, etc.)

b) ATP makes glucose molecules. Glucose molecules provide the energy (due to their motion) to make parts of the plant.

c) Glucose and ATP react to form lots of ATP. ATP molecules break into a phosphate molecule and ADP molecule. The phosphate molecules provide energy (due to their motion) to make parts of the plant.

d) I really don't know. This is confusing!