p. 1215 Assimilation of Inorganic Nutrients
- Lincoln Taiz, Lincoln TaizUniversity of California, Santa Cruz
- Eduardo Zeiger, Eduardo ZeigerUniversity of California, Los Angeles
- Ian Max MøllerIan Max MøllerAarhus University, Denmark
- , and Angus MurphyAngus MurphyUniversity of Maryland
Abstract
This chapter focuses on nutrient assimilation, which is the incorporation of inorganic nutrients into organic substances such as pigments, enzyme cofactors, lipids, nucleic acids, and amino acids. Assimilation of some nutrients,particularly nitrogen and sulfur, involves a complex series of biochemical reactions that are among the most energy-consuming reactions in living organisms. Assimilation of other nutrients, especially the macronutrient and micronutrient cations, involves the formation of complexes with organic compounds. The chapter outlines the primary reactions through which the major nutrients (nitrogen, sulfur, phosphate, and iron) are assimilated and discusses the organic products of these reactions. It emphasizes the physiological implications of the required energy expenditures and introduces the topic of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Plants serve as the major conduit through which nutrients pass from slower geophysical domains into faster biological ones; the chapter thus highlights the vital role of plant nutrient assimilation in the human diet.
