<P> The chemical elements of which plants are constructed--principally carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, etc.--are the same as for all other life forms animals, fungi, bacteria and even viruses . Only the details of the molecules into which they are assembled differs . </P> <P> Despite this underlying similarity, plants produce a vast array of chemical compounds with unique properties which they use to cope with their environment . Pigments are used by plants to absorb or detect light, and are extracted by humans for use in dyes . Other plant products may be used for the manufacture of commercially important rubber or biofuel . Perhaps the most celebrated compounds from plants are those with pharmacological activity, such as salicylic acid from which aspirin is made, morphine, and digoxin . Drug companies spend billions of dollars each year researching plant compounds for potential medicinal benefits . </P> <P> Plants require some nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen, in large quantities to survive . Some nutrients are termed macronutrients, where the prefix macro - (large) refers to the quantity needed, not the size of the nutrient particles themselves . Other nutrients, called micronutrients, are required only in trace amounts for plants to remain healthy . Such micronutrients are usually absorbed as ions dissolved in water taken from the soil, though carnivorous plants acquire some of their micronutrients from captured prey . </P> <P> The following tables list element nutrients essential to plants . Uses within plants are generalized . </P>

Using a named species discuss its physiological response to environmental changes