In monocots, cells at the tips of the leaves and margins die first and necrosis spreads along the margins of the leaf toward the younger areas. Potassium is an activator of many enzymes that are essential for photosyntehsis and respiration and it also activates enzymes needed to for4m starch and proteins. It is a major contribuor of the osmotic potential of cells and therefore is necessary for their turgor pressure and stomatal opening. Sulfur Most soils contain enough sulfate, deficiency is rare. Symptoms consist of chlorosis througout the entire leaf including the vascular bundles.
Most sulfur occurs in proteins, specifically in a few amino acids.
Vitamins thiamine and biotin, as well as coenzyme A, a compound necessary for respiration and the breakdown of fatty acids. Sulfur dioxide can be absorbed by leaves through stomates. SO 2 is an environmental pollutant from the combustion of fossil fuels. Soil Characteristics Plants are adapted to the soil that they live in, in fact, plants are responsible for creating the soil that they live in. The breakdown of bedrock and the addition of organic material to the soil is accelerated by plants and other photosynthetic organisms.