Question

Question

Living things are mostly made up of four elements: carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen. Describe how plants and animals obtain these elements. Be sure to describe how plants AND animals obtain the elements for full credit.

Answer 1

Plants obtain carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide from the air through their leaves, combine it with water absorbed from the soil, and using energy from sunlight, convert these raw materials into glucose (a sugar) and oxygen. The glucose is then used as a source of energy to fuel the plant's growth and development, while the oxygen is released back into the air as a byproduct.

In addition to photosynthesis, plants also absorb nitrogen from the soil through their roots in the form of nitrates or ammonium ions. These nitrogen compounds are essential for the synthesis of proteins, nucleic acids, and other vital molecules within the plant.

Animals, on the other hand, obtain carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen through the food they consume. Animals consume plants or other organisms that have already synthesized these elements through photosynthesis. During digestion, the food is broken down into its basic components, such as sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids, which are then absorbed into the animal's bloodstream and used to build and maintain their tissues.

In summary, plants obtain carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen through photosynthesis and absorption from the soil, while animals obtain these elements through the food they consume. Both plants and animals rely on these essential elements for their survival and growth.