Which of the following is one of the four things plants receive from soil?

• A. Anchorage of roots
• B. Light
• C. Chlorophyll
• D. Oxygen

Answer: (D)

Plants rely on soil not only for water and minerals but also for the gases that roots need. Oxygen is present in the pore spaces of soil and diffuses to root cells, where it supports respiration and energy production for nutrient uptake and growth. Light comes from sunlight, not soil, and chlorophyll is a pigment synthesized by the plant from absorbed nutrients, not something the soil directly provides. Anchorage helps hold the plant in place, but the gas that roots specifically use from soil is oxygen. That’s why oxygen fits as a thing plants receive from soil.