Question

What are the criteria for an element to be considered as an essential part of life?

Answer 1

The nutrient is a substance that is required by the body for its growth and development. In addition, essential nutrients are those elements which are necessary for sustenance.

Step by step answer: Nutrients are substances that are required for the proper growth and development of the body. Nutrients can be organic or inorganic. The inorganic nutrients are known as minerals or elements.
Criteria for the essentiality of elements –
1. The element must be necessary for the proper growth and development of the plant.
2. The element must be needed for the reproduction of the plant.
3. The plant cannot complete its life cycle if the element is not present.
4. The element must be directly involved in the plant processes and its nutrition.
5. The element should have a very specific role.
6. The element cannot be replaced by another element and nothing else can substitute or perform its functions.
7. If the element is absent then the plant suffers deficiency symptoms and diseases.
8. The deficiency symptoms of a plant can be cured by providing a particular element only.

Note: In plants, 70 elements have been reported. Out of the 70 elements, 30 are common for all the plants. Out of these 30 elements now, 17 elements are very essential and necessary for the growth of the plant. These 17 elements are known as essential elements. The essential elements are further classified as macronutrients or micronutrients. The macronutrients are the substances that are required by the plant in relatively large amounts, whereas, the micronutrients are the elements that are required by the plant in comparatively lesser amounts.