alleryStart learning →Humus, the organic material of soil, is made up of what?
AWeathered rock ground into fine particles
BLiving roots and their attached root hairs
CMicroorganisms and dead plants and animals
DMineral salts dissolved in the soil solution
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Microorganisms and dead plants and animals
1. The organic material of soil is called humus.
2. It is made up of microorganisms, both dead and alive, together with dead animals and plants in varying stages of decay.
3. Humus improves soil structure and provides plants with water and minerals.
4. Weathered rock is the inorganic material of soil rather than the organic fraction.
_Source: OpenStax Biology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 31 "Soil and Plant Nutrition", section 31.2 The Soil_
Keep practising Soil and Plant Nutrition
Browse all Soil and Plant Nutrition questions for ICAR JRF, or explore more Plant Sciences topics.
Related questions
What do the minerals obtained from trapped insects compensate for in a Venus flytrap?Which two root types does an epiphyte have?In a lichen, what does the algal partner contribute?How do most saprophytic plants actually obtain their food?About how many species of parasitic plants are there?Which term describes a parasitic plant that is fully photosynthetic and uses its host onlyEndomycorrhizae are found in the roots of what proportion of terrestrial plants?What share of the total carbon accessed by plants can mycorrhizal fungi obtain?