Figure 19 Products of cellular respiration are reactants during photosynthesis. A Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are two parts of the same cycle. B Plants can survive without people, but people cannot survive without plants.

Diagram of cellular respiration and photosynthesis next to a picture of a woman picking flowers outdoors.dd

Cellular Respiration

What does your body need energy for, besides maintaining a constant body temperature? Everything! It takes energy to laugh or cry, to heal a bone or a paper cut, to climb a rope or a staircase, or even to sleep. During cellular respiration, the energy stored in the products of photosynthesis is released. Like photosynthesis, cellular respiration is a complex series of reactions. This equation is a summary of the overall process.

C6H12O6 + 6O2  6H2O + 6CO2 + Energy(heat)

Figure 19 summarizes the relationship between photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Each process produces the reactants for the other process. Carbon dioxide and water are reactants in photosynthesis and products of cellular respiration. Carbohydrates and oxygen are reactants in cellular respiration and products of photosynthesis.

In the equation for cellular respiration, glucose is reacting with oxygen. The glucose can come from simple sugars or from starches, because starch is a polymer of glucose. During digestion, starch breaks down into glucose. This process is an example of depolymerization. Fats are also a good source of energy. One gram of fat produces twice the energy of one gram of a carbohydrate.


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Table of Contents

Physical Science CHAPTER 1 Science Skills CHAPTER 2 Properties of Matter CHAPTER 3 States of Matter CHAPTER 4 Atomic Structure CHAPTER 5 The Periodic Table CHAPTER 6 Chemical Bonds CHAPTER 7 Chemical Reactions CHAPTER 8 Solutions, Acids, and Bases CHAPTER 9 Carbon Chemistry CHAPTER 10 Nuclear Chemistry CHAPTER 11 Motion CHAPTER 12 Forces and Motion CHAPTER 13 Forces in Fluids CHAPTER 14 Work, Power, and Machines CHAPTER 15 Energy CHAPTER 16 Thermal Energy and Heat CHAPTER 17 Mechanical Waves and Sound CHAPTER 18 The Electromagnetic Spectrum and Light CHAPTER 19 Optics CHAPTER 20 Electricity CHAPTER 21 Magnetism CHAPTER 22 Earth's Interior CHAPTER 23 Earth's Surface CHAPTER 24 Weather and Climate CHAPTER 25 The Solar System CHAPTER 26 Exploring the Universe Skills and Reference Handbook