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Thursday, November 8, 2018
Respiration

Author: Wan Nabilah Binti Rosli, 2018895514 (Respiration)


            All living things use a respiration process to get energy to stay alive.
 Cellular respiration in plants is the process used by plants to convert nutrients obtained from soil into energy which fuels the plants’ cellular activities. During respiration, plants consume nutrients to keep plant cells alive while during photosynthesis, plants create their own food.

            The process of respiration in plants is involved by using the glucose and oxygen that been produced during photosynthesis to produce energy for plant growth. In many ways, respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis. In the natural environment, plants produce their own food to survive.

oxygen + glucose -> carbon dioxide + water + heat energy

Respiration Occurs In :
  o LEAVES: The leaves of plants have tiny pores on their surface which are called stomata. 
The exchange of gases in the leaves during respiration takes place through stomata.



This happens as follows: Oxygen from the air enters into a leaf through stomata and 
reaches all the cells by the process of diffusion. This oxygen is used in respiration in cells of the leaf. The carbon dioxide produced during diffuses out from the leaf into the air through same stomata. 


o ROOTS: The roots of plants are under the ground but root cells also 
need oxygen to carry out respiration and 
release energy for their own use.
 
When/How the respiration occurs in plants?
     Plants absorb the energy they need through aerobic respiration, which is a chemical reaction that uses the oxygen in the air and glucose from within the plant to form carbon dioxide and water. The plant derives the energy it needs to live from the water and carbon dioxide formed by the respiration process. To remain alive, the plant must respire at all times.

     Respiration is linked to photosynthesis but the outcome is opposite. Photosynthesis uses energy from sunlight and the carbon dioxide in the air to produce oxygen. Respiration uses up oxygen and produces carbon dioxide. Overall, plants produce more oxygen than carbon dioxide and this is why plant life is an essential for animal life. Without plants, the earth's oxygen level would fall dramatically.

     Not only do plants respire at all times, the rate of respiration remains constant throughout the day and night. In bright light, the rate of photosynthesis exceeds the respiration rate, while in dim light the rate is about the same. In darkness, photosynthesis stops but respiration continues at the same level.

     All plants continue to respire during winter months, even the plants that lose their leaves for the winter. Respiration continues through all seasons, even though photosynthesis dramatically slows down or stops altogether. For respiration to carry on through the winter, plants use up stores of the food produced during the summer by photosynthesis.

     In conclusion, respiration does not require light energy, it can be conducted at night or during the day. However, respiration does require oxygen which can be problematic for roots which are overwatered or in soils with poor drainage. If roots are inundated for long periods of time they cannot take up oxygen and convert glucose to maintain cell metabolic processes. As a result, waterlogging and excessive irrigation can deprive roots of oxygen, kill root tissue, damage trees, and reduce yield.

References:

-Bailey, Regina. "Cellular Respiration". Archived from the original on 2012-05-05.
-Stryer, Lubert (1995). Biochemistry (fourth ed.). New York – Basingstoke: W. H. Freeman and Company
-Rich, P. R. (2003). "The molecular machinery of Keilin's respiratory chain". Biochemical Society Transactions.
-Respiration : Respiration In Plant,  Retrieved November 6, 2018, from https://www.rookieparenting.com/do-plants-breathe-science-experiment/

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