The Differences in Cellular Respiration & Photosynthesis
Plants and humans need one another to live. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and give off oxygen, which humans and animals breathe in and, in turn, release carbon dioxide. For plants to grow and produce oxygen they need to undergo two processes: photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Although the processes have characteristics in common, there are also many differences. Does this Spark an idea?
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Cellular Respiration
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Cells require energy to function and they use adenosine triphosphate for this. Humans use food to create ATP in their bodies. Foods are primarily composed of lipids, proteins and polysaccharides (sugars) that are converted into ATP. There are stages in this process. First, the food is broken down into lipids, amino acids and sugars. Then glycolysis occurs. In this stage, glucose goes through a ten-step process to become pyruvate. Finally, aerobic respiration takes place where the food is finally converted into ATP.
Photosynthesis
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Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make food. The essential ingredients used for this are sunlight, water, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll, which is present in plants. Water is taken from the roots of the plants and delivered to the leaves. The carbon dioxide that animals and human beings breathe enter the plant through the leaves' stomata, which are tiny pores. When that happens, the carbon dioxide is dispersed to the cells that contain chlorophyll inside the leaf. Sunlight is then used to convert the water in the plant into oxygen, which is released in the air for animals and human to use and breathe. The hydrogen, together with carbon dioxide, creates the food needed by the plants.
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Plants and Animals
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Plants and animals both use cellular respiration for the production of ATP. The difference between the two is that only plants use photosynthesis to create food. Animals do not carry out photosynthesis.
Primary Differences
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The primary difference between photosynthesis and respiration is where they occur. Photosynthesis takes place in plant organisms that requires sunlight whereas cellular respiration takes place in both plants and animals and does not require sunlight. Although they are different, they are dependent on one another. Humans and animals expel carbon dioxide and inhale oxygen, while plants take in the carbon dioxide and expel oxygen.
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References
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