Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Environmental stresses (such as drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures) cause plants to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS), including superoxide free radicals ($\text{O}_2^{\bullet-}$).
These free radicals cause oxidative damage to plant proteins, lipids, and DNA.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Plants develop enzymatic antioxidant systems to detoxify these harmful free radicals.
The enzyme Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is the primary line of defense against oxidative stress. It catalyzes the dismutation of superoxide radicals into oxygen and hydrogen peroxide ($\text{H}_2\text{O}_2$).
There are different forms of SOD, including Copper-Zinc SOD ($\text{Cu/Zn-SOD}$), which requires Zinc as a structural co-factor for its activity.
Zinc stabilizes the enzyme structure and protects plant membranes from lipid peroxidation, helping to preserve the integrity of cellular proteins and membrane lipids during environmental stress.
The other micronutrients listed do not play this specific co-factor role in superoxide detoxification:
- Boron is essential for cell wall synthesis and sugar translocation.
- Molybdenum is a co-factor for nitrate reductase.
- Chlorine is involved in osmoregulation and photosynthetic oxygen evolution.
Step 3: Final Answer:
The micronutrient responsible for superoxide detoxification is Zinc, corresponding to option (A).