Learning Objectives

22.1.1 Describe the basic roles of nutrients in organisms, and differentiate between the ways in which microorganisms, plants, and animals obtain them.

22.1.2 Summarize the steps involved in the breakdown of minerals and the subsequent release of nutrients.

22.1.3 Describe the physical and chemical properties of soil that influence its fertility.

22.1.4 Explain the processes that fix carbon and nitrogen, converting them into usable forms for organismal function and growth.

All organisms, from bacteria to blue whales, share similar nutrient requirements. How those nutrients are obtained, the chemical forms of those nutrients that are taken up, and the relative amounts of those nutrients that are required vary greatly among organisms. All nutrients, however, come from common sources: inorganic mineral forms that are present in Earth's crust or as gases in the atmosphere.