*3.2.1. Zinc (Zn)*

**1. Introduction**

230 Abiotic and Biotic Stress in Plants - Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

**2. Non-mineral nutrients**

throughout vegetative growth.

**3. Nutrients minerals**

and micronutrients [7].

**3.1. Macronutrients**

**3.2. Micronutrients**

exigency of the plant [9].

structure [8].

Large amounts of minerals and organic materials can be found in soil [1]; and some of these materials have great significance in the anatomical development and plant morphology. The soil fertility is an important factor of agronomic order. It is related to provision of essential elements in the soil, where the plant will absorb adequate levels of important substances to work with its metabolism [2]. The nutrients are arranged in ionic form, which can interact with the root system of plants via three mechanisms: interception root, diffusion, or mass flow [3]. The plants require basic conditions to develop and supply the essential elements to aid with the metabolism and produce simple and/or complex compounds [4]. These are divided into

The non-mineral nutrients are hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), and carbon (C). These elements help in the formation of tissues. They are responsible for the composition of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and hormones in plants [5]. Hydrogen (H) is the element that contrib‐ utes to nitrogen fixation and photosynthesis; this is due to their reducing capacity molecules, being a nutrient assimilated from the water. Oxygen (O) is extracted from atmosphere and water, it is used during the process of cell respiration, where sugar transferred by the photo‐ synthetic process is transformed into energy. The plant captures the Carbon (C) in the form of CO2 from atmosphere. It is an organic nutrient with function to ensure the occurrence of physical, chemical, and biological cycles, ensuring the maintenance of energy reserves

These are elements essential for plant to complete its cycle [6]. They are divided into macro

The macronutrients are composed by nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and sulphur (S). Large amount of these elements are required for plants to develop and meet its physiological activity. The macronutrients play a vital role in plant

These elements are responsible for the regulatory activity of the cell organelles. These nutrients are absorbed and found in lower concentrations in plant tissues and supply the nutritional

non-minerals and minerals, which are sub-divided into macro and micronutrients.

Zinc is an essential component in thousands of proteins in plants, in which it performs the role of enzymatic activator in various processes related to plant metabolism, such as dehydrogen‐ ases, aldolases, isomerases and transphorylases [10]. Its deficiency affects plant development, with stems and leaf expansion directly affected, and also reported to have consequences on chlorophyll levels and possibly necrosis [11].
