why do plants need nitrogen? By: Gareth

well, i got 2 answers. the 1st is 'why plants need nitrogen' and the 2nd is 'why plants need nitrogen AND magnesium' please be happy to read anyone u want!!

Why do plants need nitrogen?
All plants need nitrogen to make amino acids, proteins and DNA, but the nitrogen in the atmosphere is not in a form that they can use. Other plants get the nitrogen they need from the soils or water in which they live mostly in the form of inorganic nitrate (NO3-). Nitrogen is a limiting factor for plant growth.
Why do plants need nitrogen and magnesium?
Nitrogen is an important component of many important structural, genetic and metabolic compounds in plant cells. it is a major component of chlorophyll, the compound by which plants use sunlight energy to produce sugars from water and carbon dioxide. it is also major component of amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. Nitrogen is a component of energy-transfer compounds, such as ATP which allows cells to conserve and use the energy released in metabolism. nitrogen is a significant component of nucleic acids such as, DNA, the genetic material that allows reproduction. Phosphorus is an essential nutrient both as a part of several key plant structure compounds and as a catalysis in the conversion of numerous key biochemical reactions in plants. Phosphorus is noted especially for its role in capturing and converting the sun’s energy into useful plant compounds. The two examples that follow illustrate how vital phosphorus nutrition is to normal plant development and production. Phosphorus is a vital component of DNA, the genetic "memory unit" of all living things. Itis also a component of RNA, the compound that reads the DNA genetic code to build proteins and other compounds essential for plant structure, seed yield, and genetic transfer. The structures of both DNA and RNA are linked together by phosphorus-bonds.Phosphorus is a vital component of ATP, the "energy unit" of plants. ATP forms during photosynthesis, has phosphorus in its structure, and processes from the beginning of seedling growth through to the formation of grain and maturity. Thus, phosphorus is essential for the general health and vigor of all plants.Some specific growth factors that have been associated with phosphorus are: stimulated root development, increased stalk and stem strength, improved flower formation and seed production, more uniform and earlier crop maturity, increased nitrogen N-fixing capacity of legumes, improvements in crop quality, and increased resistance to plant diseases.
Dictionary:
Phosphorus: A highly reactive, poisonous, non-metallic element occurring naturally in phosphates, especially apatite, and existing in three allotropic forms, white (or sometimes yellow), red, and black. An essential constituent of protoplasm, it is used in safety matches, pyrotechnics, incendiary shells, and fertilizers and to protect metal surfaces from corrosion. Atomic number 15; atomic weight 30.9738; melting point (white) 44.1°C; boiling point 280°C; specific gravity (white) 1.82; valence 3, 5.
RNA: Short for ribonucleic acid. The nucleic acid that is used in key metabolic processes for all steps of protein synthesis in all living cells and carries the genetic information of many viruses. Unlike double-stranded DNA, RNA consists of a single strand of nucleotides, and it occurs in a variety of lengths and shapes. RNA also differs from DNA in having the pyrimidine base uracil instead of thymine and in having ribose instead of deoxyribose in its sugar-phosphate backbone. In eukaryotes, RNA is produced in the cell nucleus. Messenger RNA is RNA that carries genetic information from the cell nucleus to the structures in the cytoplasm (known as ribosomes) where protein synthesis takes place. Ribosomal RNA is the main structural component of the ribosome. Transfer RNA is RNA that delivers the amino acids necessary for protein synthesis to the ribosomes.