Photosynthesis & Cell Respiration
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is how plants create food and energy for themselves. The process starts off in the chloroplast where the plant collects sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water. The cell then goes through a series of processes, the first one being light reactions. First, light enters the chloroplast, chlorophyll captures light energy, this energy is converted into chemicla energy which is stored in ATP. Water splits into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is brought to the stomata also, and carbon dioxide now comes into play. The stomata now mixes the carbon dioxide and hydrogen together to make carbohydrates. And now for the second stage of photosynthesis, the calvin cycle. (aka, the dark reactions, which take place in the stroma) In the calvin cycle which turns CO2 into a carbohydrate. The end product of photosynthesis is oxygen and glucose. The chemical equation for photosynthesis is:
CO2+H2O---->C6H12O6+O2.
Cell Respiration
Cell respiration is kind of the reverse process of photosynthesis. Instead of creating oxygen and glucose out of water, sunlight , and carbon dioxide, it does the almost the exact opposite. The whole purpose for cell respiration is to turn sugars, like glucose, into usable energy, ATP. Cell respiration creates carbon dioxide and water. It begins in glycolysis which changes glucose into a pyruvate. Two ATP molecules are created also.This first part akes place in the cytoplasm. Then you go on to the krebs cycle, in which 2 ATP are created, and one CO2, and it takes place in the mitochondrion. Then we go to the electron transport train, this is where O2 enters the equation. (this also happens in the mitochondrion) And lastly, this creates 34 ATP molecules. The equation is C6H12O6+6O2---->6CO2+6H2O+ energy.
Some ways that they are alike are...
Some ways that cellular respiration and photosynthesis are the same is that almost all the same elements are used in the process. Those elements are: water, carbon dioxide, oxygen, sunlight, and energy. Another way that they are alike, is that they are two different processes for different living things to make food, plants and animals.