How are minerals absorbed from the soil into the root of a plant?
How are minerals absorbed from the soil into the root of a plant?
Passive absorption
Active absorption
Both passive and active absorption
None of the above
Solution
Unlike water, minerals cannot be passively absorbed by the roots of a plant due to the presence of ions in the soil and the lower concentration of minerals in the soil compared to the root. Therefore, minerals must enter the root by active absorption, which requires energy in the form of ATP. The active uptake of ions is partly responsible for the water potential gradient in roots and the uptake of water by osmosis. Some ions also move into the epidermal cells passively.