Passage VI

Most plants require specific substances known as minerals to grow and reproduce. The following table provides a list of the minerals essential to flowering plants and a description of their functions. The first seven listed are called macronutrients, since they are present in large quantities in the plants. The other minerals are called micronutrients because they are often present in trace amounts. The number of pounds of each mineral required to grow 100 bushels of corn is also depicted in the table.

Table adapted from William T.Keeton, Biological Science.©1980 by W. W. Norton & Company.