Most autotrophs are photosynthetic, but some are chemosynthetic, meaning they derive energy for inorganic material and not sunlight.
Plants take up nutrients selectively according to their particular needs at a given time.
The four most common elements found in the atmosphere and soil are carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. All of these are required by plants. Essential mineral elements are required by plants for growth and reproduction. In some cases, there is a fine line between deficiency and toxcity from these elements. There may be a very narrow range of concentrations that is optimal for the plant.