Photosynthesis vs Respiration

Light The light that you see is called white light. White light is made up of the colors of the visible spectrum – red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Some objects reflect some colors of the visible spectrum and absorb others. (Ex: when light strikes a red shirt, the shirt absorbs most colors and reflects red.)

Light Like most other objects, plants absorb some colors and reflect others. When light strikes the green leaves of a plant, most of the green part of the spectrum is reflected. Most of the other colors of light are absorbed.

Chlorophyll & Accessory Pigments Chlorophyll absorbs most of the blue and red light. Accessory pigments, which include orange and yellow pigments, are also found in leaves and absorb different colors of light than chlorophyll. Most accessory pigments are not visible in plants because they are masked by chlorophyll.

Accessory Pigments

Photosynthesis Plants use energy from light to power the process of photosynthesis. This takes place in the parts of a plant that contain chlorophyll. Carbon dioxide gas from the air and water from the soil are the raw materials for photosynthesis. Sugar and oxygen are the products.

Respiration Cells store and use energy in a way that is similar to how money works at the bank. You eat a meal (make a deposit into your body) and then the cells need energy, they make a withdrawal by breaking down the carbohydrates in the food to release energy. The process by which cells obtain energy from glucose (a type of sugar) is called respiration. Because living things need a continuous supply of energy, the cells of all living things carry out respiration continuously.

Respiration The term respiration also is used to mean breathing, that is, moving air in and out of your lungs. To avoid confusion, the respiration that happens in the cells is usually referred to as cellular respiration.

Respiration Like photosynthesis, respiration is a two-stage process. The first stage takes place in the cytoplasm of the organism’s cells. There, glucose molecules are broken down into smaller molecules. The second stage of respiration takes place in the mitochondria. There, the small molecules are broken down into even smaller molecules. These chemical reactions require oxygen, and a great deal of energy is released. The other two products of respiration are carbon dioxide and water.

Photosynthesis vs Respiration Photosynthesis and respiration are often thought of as opposite processes. Together, these two processes form a cycle that keeps levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide fairly constant in the atmosphere.