Photosynthesis and Respiration
Photosynthesis and Respiration
Photosynthesis and Respiration
Photosynthesis is a process by which phototrophs convert light energy into chemical energy,
which is later is used to fuel cellular activities. The chemical energy is stored in the form of
sugars, which are created from water and carbon dioxide. All green plants and a few other
autotrophic organisms utilize photosynthesis to synthesize nutrients by using carbon dioxide,
water and sunlight. The by-product of the photosynthesis process is oxygen.
Place of occurrence
Chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis in plants
and blue-green algae. All green parts of a plant,
including the green stems, green leaves, and sepals
– floral parts comprise of chloroplasts – green
colour plastids. These cell organelles are present
only in plant cells and are located within the
mesophyll cells of leaves.
Photosynthetic Pigments
There are four different types of pigments present in
leaves: Figure: Chloroplast
Chlorophyll a
Chlorophyll b
Xanthophylls
Carotenoids
The chemical equation for the dark reaction can be reduced to:
3CO2 + 6 NADPH + 5H2O + 9ATP → G3P + 2H+ + 6 NADP+ + 9 ADP + 8 Pi
Respiration
Respiration is a metabolic process that occurs in all organisms. It is considered a biochemical
process that occurs within the cells of organisms. In this process, the energy (ATP-Adenosine
triphosphate) is produced by the breakdown of glucose which is further used by cells in
various functions. Every living species, from a single-celled organism to
dominant multicellular organisms, goes through respiration.
There are two types of respiration:
1. Aerobic respiration
2. Anaerobic respiration
Aerobic respiration
It is a type of cellular respiration that takes place in the presence of oxygen to produce
energy. It is a continuous process that takes place within the cells of animals and plants. This
process can be explained with the help of the chemical equation:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O +
Energy (34ATP)
1. Glycolysis
The first step of aerobic
respiration is glycolysis. This
step takes place within the
cytosol of the cell, and is
actually anaerobic, meaning it does not need Figure: Aerobic respiration
oxygen. During glycolysis, which means
breakdown of glucose, glucose is separated into
two ATP and two NADH molecules, which are used later in the process of aerobic
respiration.
Anaerobic respiration
Anaerobic respiration is the type of respiration through which cells can break down sugars to
generate energy in the absence of oxygen. This is in contrast to the highly efficient process
of aerobic respiration, which relies on oxygen to produce energy.
The equations for the two most common types of anaerobic respiration are:
• Lactic acid fermentation:
C6H12O6 (glucose)+ 2 ADP + 2 pi → 2 lactic acid + 2 ATP
• Alcoholic fermentation:
C6H12O6 (glucose) + 2 ADP + 2 pi → 2 C2H5OH (ethanol) + 2 CO2 + 2 ATP