Although not as spectacular as the flytrap, all plants have adaptations for obtaining the environmental resources they require. Uptake of Water and Nutrients Nutritional Requirements Plants require sixteen essential elements.
Carbon is obtained from carbon dioxide in the air.
Oxygen comes from water and the air. Hydrogen comes from water. Thirteen elements are made available as dissolved mineral salts. Specialized Absorptive Structures Plants are helped in their uptake of nutrients by fungi and bacteria, which have a symbiotic relationship with plants called mutualism. Bacteria residing in root nodules of legumes convert gaseous nitrogen to forms useful in the growth of the plants.