What term describes substances required by living organisms in relatively large amounts for growth and metabolism, such as nitrates and phosphates?

• A. Nutrient
• B. Osmosis
• C. Scientific Name
• D. Primary Producer

Answer: (A)

Nutrients are substances needed by living organisms in relatively large amounts for growth and metabolism. In the question, nitrates and phosphates are classic examples because nitrogen and phosphorus are essential for making amino acids, nucleotides, and ATP, all key to growth and cellular function. In aquatic systems, these are often considered macronutrients, and their availability can limit primary production if scarce. The other terms don’t describe substances used for growth in large amounts: osmosis is the movement of water across a membrane, the scientific name is the formal taxonomic label for a species, and a primary producer is an organism that creates organic matter, not the nutrients themselves.