43. Intext questions V

 

a. Plants acquire the nutrients they need through a process that involves . In total, there are sixteen essential nutrients required for plant growth.

 

b. Water provides , while the remaining thirteen nutrients are obtained from the soil. Thus, plants have to to support their above-ground parts. Nutrients are crucial for living organisms as they help build and repair body parts and provide the energy necessary for life processes.

 

c. Plants are , meaning they can generate their food through , using photosynthetic pigments to produce glucose. On the other hand, heterotrophs rely on consuming food products produced by plants or directly consuming other organisms.