Question #9c765

1 Answer
Mar 24, 2015

Photosynthesis and respiration are reactions that complement each other in the environment.

While in photosynthesis carbon dioxide (#CO_2#) and water (#H_2O#) yield glucose (sugar) and oxygen (#O_2#), through the respiration process glucose and oxygen yield carbon dioxide and water! This is very important to know.

Photosynthesis is the process by which organisms that contain the pigment chlorophyll convert light energy into chemical energy which can be stored in the molecular bonds of organic molecules (sugars).

So plants convert sunlight into sugars. Now we need to understand how cells can use the products of photosynthesis to obtain energy. There are several possible metabolic pathways by which cells can obtain the energy stored in chemical bonds:

  • Glycolysis
  • Fermentation
  • Cellular respiration

There is great comparison chart between these two chemical processes. Look it up here .