Photosynthesis and Respiration
By:Ramiro Garcia Through many years of school and history we have thought of Photosynthesis as two opposite things, but they actually can’t work without each other. So in this essay we will be comparing and contrasting photosynthesis and respiration.
Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other organisms to convert light energy, normally from the Sun, into chemical energy that can be later released to fuel the organisms' activities.
During photosynthesis there is a two­stage process. The first step is to capture the Sun’s energy, which occurs in the leaves and other green parts of the plant, and once there pigments start absorbing the light; while the same time it gets CO2 through the surrounding air, which enters the plant by going into the stomata. Then it gets water through its roots into the plant itself. The second stage would be using the captured molecules, energy, and soil, to produce food. After everything has been captured the first thing that happens is that inside the chloroplasts, both water and CO2 undergo a complex series of chemical reactions which is powered by the energy from the Sun, which results as sugars(glucose) and oxygen.
Considering all of this, why is this essential for life? The answer is simple, it is because we humans, and most animals need oxygen to survive, so without this process taking place, we would all be dead.
Cellular respiration is the process by which by absorbing glucose and oxygen an organism releases CO2, water, and energy. Just like photosynthesis, respiration requires a 2­step process. The first step occurs in the cytoplasm of the organism’s cells. Inside the cytoplasm glucose molecules are broken down into smaller pieces and then release energy. The second step happens in mitochondria. Once inside small molecules