How do nutrients enter a plant?

Question

How do nutrients enter a plant?

Answer 1

Through a process called translocation.  In which vascular tissue called phloem recieves nutrients, a rich carbohydrate sap, from the upper leaves of the plants in which it flows down to replenish the plant under high hydrostatic pressure where it will enter sink cells with which the pressure will be relieved and the process is continued from there on.

Answer 2

Actually, nutrients that are not obtained through the stomata, which would be everything other than hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon for the most part, come in through the roots.

Plants can absorb nutrients directly through root hairs  (modified epidermal cells with lots of surface area that are not real roots) or through mycorrhizal associates. Most nutrients absorbed in the roots come through root tips, where a Casparian strip (a kind of waxy barrier in the endodermis) has not yet formed.

Nutrients first pass through the epidermis, then through the cortex of the roots. From there they travel until they reach the endodermis, where the Casparian strip is located. When they encounter the Casparian strip, many of the larger molecules are blocked from passing through by their size and remain concentrated in the roots. Many plants used in bioremediation will have large amounts of heavy metals concentrated in their root cortex because of this.

If nutrients get through the Casparian strip, they move into the parenchyma surrounding the xylem, then into the xylem itself. Xylem are what initially distribute nutrients into the plant after assimilation through the roots. From the xylem, the nutrients are transported as needed.

Recycled nutrients and sugars photosynthyzed in the leaves move around through the phloem, but nutrients DO NOT ENTER THE PLANT THROUGH THE PHLOEM.

Hope this helped :)