Plants take up essential elements from the soil through their roots and from the air (mainly consisting of nitrogen and oxygen) through their leaves. Nutrient uptake in the soil is achieved by cation exchange, wherein root hairs pump hydrogen ions (H+) into the soil through proton pumps. Plants absorb water from the soil through the roots by Osmosis and They get Carbon dioxide from the air through the Stomata present on the leaves which facilitate for gaseous exchange. Hope this helps!
