Compare the process of photosynthess to the process of respiraton?

Question

Compare the process of photosynthess to the process of respiraton?

Answer 1

BARE BONES:

photosynthesis:  CO2 --> glucose

cellular respiration:  glucose --> CO2

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DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY:



Photosynthesis produces oxygen and glucose, which will be used in the set of reactions called cellular respiration. Photosynthesis consumes CO2 and gives off O2, while (aerobic) cellular respiration consumes O2 and gives off CO2, making these two a perfect complement, with the net effect being turning sunlight into the potential energy in the chemical bonds that comprise plants and animals.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS: CO2 + energy + water => glucose + O2

RESPIRATION: glucose + O2 => CO2 + energy + water

(They are mirror images of one another)

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DETAIL

Plants utilize sunlight as an energy source to build high energy chemicals (glucose) for internal use, employing chloroplasts and electron transport molecules, consuming water and converting CO2 to O2 in the process. Animals and other heterotrophs ingest and utilize those high energy chemicals as a source of metabolic energy, employing mitochondria and a different electron transport chain, generating water and converting O2 to CO2 in the process (plants also use their own carbohydrates this way, but obviously, don't need to ingest them). The two processes, photosynthesis and aerobic respiration, are similar, analogous and complimentary, but distinct.

See "What are the basic similarities between aerobic respiration and photosynthesis?" at http://bioactive.mrkirkscience.com/08/ch...