Essential elements perform the following in plant life:

• The essential elements serve as the framework elements or building materials for protoplasm, cell wall, enzymes and so on.
• OSMOTIC pressure in plant CELLS is developed by essential elements.
• Though inorganic constituents have little influence on pH, certain ions like phosphate, bicarbonate and carbonate may act as buffers and thus resist marked change in pH. Plant tissues usually control the degree of acidity and buffer action primarily by organic acids.
• Desirable degree of hydration of cell colloids is maintained by the essential elements. In GENERAL, monovalent cations increase hydration whereas divalent, PARTICULARLY POLYVALENT cations decrease it.
• Permeability characteristics of membranes is regulated by the essential elements. It is influenced by cations and anions in the medium with which the membrane is in contact. Some ions have decreasing effect on the permeability while others have an increasing effect.
• Essential elements show antagonistic effect. Antagonism pertains to those interactions in which the normal effect of one ion is counteracted or neglected by that of another ion.
• Elements like iron, copper, zinc, manganese, etc., act as catalysts in various enzymatic reactions in plants.

Essential elements perform the following in plant life: