Introduction
The study of how plants absorb and assimilate inorganic ions is called mineral nutrition. This area of research is central to modern agriculture and environmental protection. High agricultural yields depend strongly on fertilization with mineral elements. Mineral elements are acquired primarily in the form of organic ions, and they continually cycle through all organisms and their environment. Mineral elements enter the biosphere primarily through the root systems of plants, so in a sense plants act as the "miners" of the Earth's crust. …
