Question
Biology Question on Nutrition
The deficiencies of micronutrients, not only affects growth of plants but also vital functions such as photosynthetic and mitochondrial electron flow. Among the list given below, which group of three elements shall affect most, both photosynthetic and mitochondrial electron transport?
Co, Ni, Mo
Ca, K, Na
Mn, Co, Ca
Cu, Mn, Fe.
Cu, Mn, Fe.
Solution
Iron is mainly available in the ferrous form and it is absorbed in the ferric form, also. It is a part of catalases, peroxidases, cytochromes etc. and plays a role in electron transport system in photosynthesis. Manganese is absorbed by the plants when it is in the bivalent form. Manganese participates in the photolysis of water in pigment system II during photosynthesis and thus it helps in the electron transport from water to chlorophyll. Copper is absorbed on the clay particles as divalent cations, from where it can be absorbed by the plants by exchange mechanism. It is constituent of plastocyanin which takes part in electron transport during photosynthetic phosphorylation.