The document discusses essential macro and micro-nutrients required by plants for growth, detailing their absorption, roles, and effects on plant health. It emphasizes that macro-nutrients include hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and sulfur, while micro-nutrients, needed in smaller amounts, include iron, manganese, and others. Deficiencies in these nutrients can lead to specific symptoms and negatively impact plant metabolism and growth.