How to Compare & Contrast Photosynthesis & Cellular Respiration Tables
- 1). Understand the basics of the processes. In "Dictionary of Nature" (1994), David Burnie translates photosynthesis as "putting together by light," a nice description of this critical chemical reaction accomplished by plants and certain bacteria and algae. Light energy from the sun catalyzes the conversion of carbon dioxide and water to glucose, a sugar, and the byproduct of oxygen. Cellular respiration, by contrast, takes place in all organisms and describes the breakdown of food molecules into usable energy sources.
- 2). Consider the relationship between the two processes, which may be clearly expressed in tables. Glucose produced during photosynthesis is one of the major food molecules processed during cellular respiration. It is directly incorporated into the first step of respiration, glycolysis, which is a part of both aerobic (with oxygen) and anaerobic (without oxygen) respiration -- demonstrating the importance of that photosynthetic byproduct, oxygen, as well.
- 3). Use the tables to look at the specific components, products, byproducts and mechanisms of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Photosynthesis, with its single major pathway, is somewhat simpler to understand. Important components of the process include photosynthetic pigments like chlorophyll, which actually absorb the vital solar energy from incoming sunlight. Aerobic cellular respiration involves glycolysis, the Krebs citric acid cycle, the electron-transfer chain and oxidative phosphorylation.
- 4). Connect the technical tables with a broader appreciation of these processes' importance. Both can be incorporated into basic understandings of ecological food webs: Plants and other photosynthetic organisms translate solar energy into energy that many other forms of life -- including humans -- require to survive. Cellular respiration results in the creation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the primary energy source for animals.
- 5). Extrapolate those tables further to link the processes with other mechanisms of the biosphere. For example, consider the importance of the development of photosynthesis and its outputs in the evolution of the planet's ecology. Beginning with blue-green algae some 3 billion years ago, photosynthetic organisms have contributed both oxygen and ozone to the atmosphere, the latter forming a protective layer against solar exposure that allowed terrestrial lifeforms to evolve.
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