WHY IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION DECSCRIBED AS A CYCLE?
chemically, they are reverse processes: photosynthesis makes organic molecules and oxygen water from carbon dioxide and water.
Respiration takes in oxygen and then "burns" the energy to make carbon dioxide and water
services which the fruit provides for the plant.
The difference between photosynthesis and respiration is described as a cycle because they both occur in a continuous and interconnected manner. They are chemically opposite processes, with photosynthesis using carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose and oxygen, while respiration consumes glucose and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy.
This cycle is important because the products of respiration (carbon dioxide and water) are used as reactants in photosynthesis, and the products of photosynthesis (glucose and oxygen) are used as reactants in respiration. This means that the products of one process become the starting materials for the other process, creating a continuous exchange of energy and materials.
To fully understand the cycle between photosynthesis and respiration, you can visualize it as follows:
1. During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight energy, along with carbon dioxide and water, to produce glucose and oxygen. This process occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells.
Equation: 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2
2. The glucose produced during photosynthesis is then stored in plants as an energy source.
3. When plants need energy, they undergo respiration to release the stored energy from glucose. Respiration takes place in the mitochondria of plant cells.
Equation: C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy
4. The released energy from respiration is used for various metabolic processes in the plant, such as growth, reproduction, and maintaining cellular activities.
5. The carbon dioxide produced during respiration is released back into the atmosphere, where it can be used again by plants for photosynthesis.
6. The water produced during respiration is also released, but plants continually take up water from the soil through their roots for various functions.
This continuous cycle between photosynthesis and respiration ensures the availability of energy and materials for the plants to survive and grow. It is described as a cycle because the two processes are interdependent and continuously occur in a repeating sequence.