Processes. Plants take up essential elements from the soil through their roots and from the air through their leaves. Nutrient uptake in the soil is achieved by cation exchange, where in root hairs pump hydrogen ions (H+) into the soil through proton pumps
Plants absorb nutrients and water through their roots, but photosynthesis occurs in the leaves. So, plants need to get fluids and nutrients from the ground up through their stems to their parts that are above ground level.
