ABSTRACT
Plants, like all living things, take inanimate materials from the surrounding environment and use them to create living tissues. These inanimate materials are usually referred to as “essential elements.” They are called essential because plants must have them in order to complete their life cycles. At present, 16 elements are considered necessary for normal plant growth and development. Three of these, carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, are obtained from water and air, and make up the bulk of plant tissues in the form of carbohydrates. Typical carbohydrates include cellulose, starches, and sugars.
