During respiration, very little amount of gas exchanges takes place within the different parts of the

plants. Therefore, each part takes care of its own energy requirements.

Roots, stems, and leaves of plants exchange gases for respiration separately. As we all know, leaves have
tiny pores called as stomata, which is used for the exchange of gases. The oxygen, taken in through
stomata is used by cells in the leaves to break down glucose into carbon dioxide and water.

Respiration In Roots

Roots also absorb air from the air spaces present between the soil particles. Thus, the oxygen absorbed
through roots are used to release energy which is later utilized for the transportation of minerals and
salts from the soil.We are aware of the fact that plants have the unique ability to photosynthesize.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants prepare their own food. It takes place only in the parts of
plants that contain chlorophyll, i.e. only in the green parts of the plants. The process of photosynthesis is
so prominent that it sometimes masks the process of respiration in plants. However, we must know that
respiration in plants occurs throughout the day while photosynthesis takes place only in the presence of
light. Therefore, at night the respiration in plants becomes prominent. That is why we often hear that
people are asked not to sleep under a tree at night. This may cause suffocation due to the excessive
presence of carbon dioxide released by trees as a result of respiration.

In plants respiration also takes place through roots. In soil oxygenated air is present in air spaces
between soil particles. This oxygen is absorbed into the roots by root hair present on the roots. The hairs
of the roots are in direct contact with them. In fact, a root hair is a lateral tubular outgrowth of the outer
epidermal cells of a root. The oxygen present in between the soil particles diffuse into the root hairs.
From root hairs, oxygen is supplied to all the parts of roots for respiration. During respiration, oxygen is
converted into carbon dioxide gas which is diffused in opposite direction i.e. out of the roots by the same
root hairs which complete the process of respiration in roots.They are also called pnematophores help to
g

Respiration In Stems

In the plants having herbaceous stem exchange of gases takes place through stomata and the carbon
dioxide produced during the process gets diffused into the air via stomata only. While in the plants
having hard and woody stems the exchange of gases takes place through lenticels. Lenticels are actually
loosely packed dead cells which are present as small pores on the bark of woody plants or old roots.
These enable oxygen to reach the intercellular spaces of the interior tissues and carbon dioxide to be
released into the atmosphere by the process of diffusion which completes the process of respiration in
stems.