Video Transcript
Why do plants benefit from a
fertilizer containing nitrogen? (A) Nitrogen reacts with oxygen
during photosynthesis. (B) Nitrogen is used by the plant
for energy at night. (C) Nitrogen is needed by the plant
to make proteins. (D) Nitrogen is released by the
plant to attract insects. (E) Nitrogen is used to form
glucose.
Nitrogen is a very important
element for plant growth. This is because the element
nitrogen is needed to form compounds like proteins, nucleic acids, and the molecule
chlorophyll. Though nitrogen gas is found in the
air, it’s not in a form that plants can use. Instead, plants absorb nitrogen
through their roots in the form of nitrogen-containing salts or other compounds. That’s why plants benefit from
receiving nitrogen in a form they can use through fertilization.
We can add nitrogen to plants using
organic or synthetic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers come from
naturally occurring sources, while synthetic fertilizers are synthesized in an
industrial or laboratory setting. Examples of a nitrogen-rich organic
fertilizer is manure. An example of a nitrogen-rich
synthetic fertilizer is ammonium sulfate.
So, to sum things up, plants
require nitrogen in order to make important molecules, like proteins and
chlorophyll. Plants can’t absorb nitrogen from
the air, which is why they benefit from a fertilizer containing nitrogen. The answer that best matches this
is answer choice (C), which is the correct answer. Nitrogen is needed by the plant to
make proteins.
