Well-developed prisms and columns can be found in some clayey subsoils. The basic chemistry of soil includes colloidal structures, minerals, and macronutrients and micronutrients essential to plant life. Clay and organic matter are finely divided soil particles called colloids, which provide the site for most of the chemical reactions in soils. Colloids, though small, possess large surface areas and electrical charges that attract nutrients and water. Soil colloids bind nutrients and prevent them from being leached out of the soil.
Clay minerals are silicates arranged in microscopic sheets of aluminum and silica.
The specific arrangement of these sheets and the type of elements within them determine the clay type. Many of these clays possess negative electrical charges that help retain elements such as potassium, calcium, and magnesium for plant use. These nutrients can move into the soil solution and be absorbed by plant roots. Essential plant elements are those required for plant survival and growth. Macronutrients include nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur.