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Introduction

Most of the metabolic processes take place in plants require energy. These
processes include absorption of mineral salts from soil, cell growth and division,
photosynthesis and respiration (Njoku, 1998).

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration as important components of


carbon cycle, where carbon is exchanged among biosphere, atmosphere, oceans
through chemical, physical, geological and biological processes. Energy, matter and
information flows within and between systems as components to simulate systems
and interactions. Leaves which kept after a long period in dark lost their capacity for
both photosynthesis amd respiration which proven that both processes are
interrelated (Spoehr and McGee, 1923). Net result of respirations reversal to
photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis comes from two Greek words; photo means light and
synthesis mean putting together (Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein and Laura
Silverstein Nunn, 2008). Photosynthesis is a natural process by which plants convert
solar energy from the sun into useful chemical energy for food. It involves oxidation-
reduction reaction which take place in chloroplast. Green plants contain
photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophylls and carotenoids which absorb light.

All living things used energy produced from photosynthesis. Green plants act
as producer that convert light energy into chemical energy which stored in food.
Living organisms need plants for food as well as oxygen. Photoautotroph means
plants that able to synthesize food directly from inorganic compounds using light
energy. The energy for photosynthesis comes from absorbed photons in light and
involves a reducing agent, in this case water. Molecular oxygen is released as
product while carbon dioxide being removed from air. Not only green plants, algae
and chlorophyll containing bacteria undergo photosynthesis which convert carbon
dioxide ( CO2 ) to organic material by reduce it to carbohydrate which known as
glucose. Oxidation of organic compounds released stored energy to be utilised to
carry out essential metabolic processes by organisms.

Factors affect rate of photosynthesis can categorised into internal and


external factors. Internal factors such as number of chlorophyll present, leaf age and
anatomy and demand for photo synthate; light intensity, temperature, carbon dioxide
concentration, water and mineral elements as external factors. First three
components in external factors also known as limiting factors for photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis and respiration may be occurred at the same time in plant


cells. Photosynthesis and respiration are complementary processes which living
organisms obtained required substances. Photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts,
respiration mainly in mitochondria.

Respiration is the process which energy in organic molecules released by


oxidation. It involves gases exchange between organism and external environment.
Role of respiration can be described as availability of energy in food to be
transformed into usable form. The energy available in form of ATP while required
oxygen molecules from atmosphere.

Respiration can be in two terms, aerobic (presence of oxygen) and anaerobic


(absence of oxygen). In plants, movement of atmospheric air by simple diffusion.
Oxygen is absorbed and used to oxidize nutrients such as amino acids, fatty acids to
produce carbon dioxide, water and energy. This process occurs within cells and
tissues. Carbon dioxide released can used as indicator to measure rate of respiration.
However, rate of respiration can influence by internal factors such as activity of
respiratory enzymes, type of substrate; external factors such as oxygen, temperature,
carbon dioxide and others.

Reference

Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein and Laura Silverstein Nunn. 2008.


Photosynthesis. Twenty-First Century Books.

Njoku. 1998. Chapter 7: Respiration in Plants. Basic Biology. 1st Edition. Adson
Educational Publishers.
Spoehr, H.A., McGee, J.M., 1923. Studies in Plant Respiration and Photosynthesis.
Carnegie Institution of Washington.

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