Plant also requires minerals i.e. nitrates, sulphates, phosphate etc. These minerals are also taken up by root hair in two-ways:
It is an overall movement of molecules of a substance from high concentration towards low concentration till a uniform concentration (equilibrium) is achieved.
Minerals and certain ions transport from the soil into the root hair by diffusion, when the concentration of certain ions in soil is higher than that in root hair cells i.e. passive transport.
Movement of substances from low quantity to high quantity i.e. against the concentration gradient which requires energy of ATP is called active transport.
Pants require some substances even if they are found in soil in low quantities. The roots absorb these ions against a concentration gradient by using energy of ATP, which is active transport.
