Examples of inorganic plant nutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, etc.
Explanation:
Plants need nutrients for their normal growth and development. They usually synthesize the organic nutrients they need, but they obtain certain specific inorganic nutrients from the soil. The inorganic nutrients are classified into primary macronutrients, secondary macronutrients, and micronutrients.
Plants need primary macronutrients in large quantities and they include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
Nitrogen is an important component of organic compounds such as chlorophyll, nucleic acids, amino acids, etc. Nitrogen deficiency leads to chlorosis where the plants become pale green or yellow due to the lack of chlorophyll.
Phosphorus is used in the synthesis of phospholipids, nucleotides, ATP, coenzymes and in the metabolism (phosphorylation of sugar). Phosphorus deficiency in plants leads to stunted growth and development of purple blotches.
Potassium is an important participant in protein synthesis, various metabolic pathways, etc. Potassium deficiency leads to protein deficiency and can interfere with the process of stomatal opening and closing.
Plants need secondary macronutrients also in large amounts, but in lower quantities than primary macronutrients. They include magnesium (chlorophyll synthesis and activation of enzymes), sulfur (a component of certain amino acids and coenzyme A), calcium (a component of the plant cell wall).
Plants need micronutrients in relatively small quantities and they include chlorine, manganese, iron, zinc, nickel, copper, boron, molybdenum, etc. Their main function is to act as coenzymes in numerous enzymatic pathways.
