IGCSE Biology / Plants and food
Nitrate, phosphate, potassium and magnesium
Edexcel International GCSE Biology (4BI1), chapter 10: Plants and food, specification point 2.22. Part of the full course.
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Plants need four mineral ions for key processes and substances, and a shortage of each causes a recognisable deficiency symptom. Mineral ions enter root hair cells by active transport, while water enters by osmosis.