ABSTRACT
Plants are autotrophic (self-nourishing) organisms by virtue of their ability to synthesize carbohydrates using only water, carbon dioxide, and energy from the sun. Photosynthesis, the process by which this energy capture takes place, is thus the foundation of plant nutrition. Yet manufacturing carbohydrates is just part of plant growth and development. An array of essential nutrients, along with water, are needed to form the complex carbohydrates, amino acids, and proteins that make up plant tissue and serve important functions in plants’ life processes.
