UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA (UNISA)
College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
⋄
BOT2603
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
Semester 1 — Assignment 02 — 2026
⋄
Module Code: BOT2603
Module Name: Plant Physiology
Student Name: [Student Name]
Student Number: [Student Number]
Assignment No.: Assignment 02
Due Date: 9 April 2026, 11:00 PM
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Unique Number: 328472
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for BOT2603: Plant Physiology
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | BOT2603 Plant Physiology — Assignment 02
Contents
1 Question 1: Plant Nutrition, Soil Biology and Carbon Dynamics 2
1.1 1.1 Definitions of Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.1 1.1.1 Essential Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.2 1.1.2 Carbon Partitioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.3 1.1.3 Sink Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.4 1.1.4 Critical Concentration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.5 1.1.5 Mucigel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 1.2 Mycorrhizae: Definition, Classes and Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 1.3 Composition and Role of Humus in Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 Question 2: Mineral Nutrition, Membrane Transport and Water Movement 6
2.1 2.1 Five Mineral Nutrients in Enzyme Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 2.2 Mechanisms of Carrier Proteins, Channel Proteins and ATPase Pro-
ton Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 2.3 Radial Transport of Water and Solutes Through the Root to the Xylem 8
3 Question 3: Iron Nutrition and Carbon Metabolism 10
3.1 3.1 Commercial Chelating Agents and Iron Deficiency in Limy Soils . . 10
3.2 3.2 The Cytosolic Sucrose Synthesis Pathway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Reference List 14
Page 1 of 14
College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
⋄
BOT2603
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY
Semester 1 — Assignment 02 — 2026
⋄
Module Code: BOT2603
Module Name: Plant Physiology
Student Name: [Student Name]
Student Number: [Student Number]
Assignment No.: Assignment 02
Due Date: 9 April 2026, 11:00 PM
Semester: Semester 1, 2026
Unique Number: 328472
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for BOT2603: Plant Physiology
at the University of South Africa.
, UNISA | BOT2603 Plant Physiology — Assignment 02
Contents
1 Question 1: Plant Nutrition, Soil Biology and Carbon Dynamics 2
1.1 1.1 Definitions of Key Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.1 1.1.1 Essential Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.2 1.1.2 Carbon Partitioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.3 1.1.3 Sink Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.1.4 1.1.4 Critical Concentration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.1.5 1.1.5 Mucigel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.2 1.2 Mycorrhizae: Definition, Classes and Differences . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.3 1.3 Composition and Role of Humus in Soil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2 Question 2: Mineral Nutrition, Membrane Transport and Water Movement 6
2.1 2.1 Five Mineral Nutrients in Enzyme Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2.2 2.2 Mechanisms of Carrier Proteins, Channel Proteins and ATPase Pro-
ton Pumps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2.3 2.3 Radial Transport of Water and Solutes Through the Root to the Xylem 8
3 Question 3: Iron Nutrition and Carbon Metabolism 10
3.1 3.1 Commercial Chelating Agents and Iron Deficiency in Limy Soils . . 10
3.2 3.2 The Cytosolic Sucrose Synthesis Pathway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Reference List 14
Page 1 of 14
