Role of Minerals in Plants:
Broadly speaking, the following roles are ascribed to the mineral elements:
(1) Components of Plant Body- Elements like carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen enter into the constitution of the plant body, cell wall, protoplasm, etc. The bulk of the plant body is composed of these elements. These elements are constituents of a large number of compounds such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, cellulose, etc. As calcium pectate, calcium is an important constituent of the cell wall and magnesium of chlorophyll.
(2) Components of Protoplast- Elements like sulfur, phosphorous, and nitrogen are the essential components of proteins and nucleic acids. These are important constituents of protoplasm.
(3) Catalytic Components- Elements like iron, copper, zinc, manganese, etc. act as catalysts in various enzyme reactions of plant metabolism.
(4) Osmotic Potential- The osmotic potential of plant cells depends on the concentration of mineral salts and organic compounds present in the cell sap. Osmotic potential is important for water absorption and maintenance of turgidity.
(5) Acidity and Buffer Action- Mineral elements absorbed from the soil by the roots influence the pH of cell sap and also constitute a major buffer system of the plants.
(6) Permeability of Cytoplasmic Membranes- Permeability of cytoplasmic membranes is influenced by the presence of various cations and anions of the mineral elements in the external medium. Some ions increase the permeability of the plasma membrane while others decrease it.
(7) Maintenance of Electrostatic Neutrality- Mineral elements like Na, K, Ca, and Mg found in the cells help in maintaining the electrostatic neutrality of the cells.
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