Final answer:
During cellular respiration, plants take in oxygen and break down glucose to produce energy. This process is intertwined with photosynthesis, creating a cycle where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged between these two critical life processes.
Step-by-step explanation:
During cellular respiration, plants take in oxygen from the air and break down stored glucose. While photosynthesis is the process where plants use energy from sunlight to make glucose and other organic molecules, cellular respiration is the process by which both plants and animals derive energy from these organic molecules. Photosynthesis requires carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, whereas cellular respiration requires oxygen and releases carbon dioxide, making these two processes part of a biological cycle.
Glucose, made during photosynthesis, is converted back into carbon dioxide in cellular respiration, which is then utilized again in photosynthesis. This cyclical relationship between the two processes illustrates the efficiency of energy use in nature, where substances change form but are conserved and recycled. The energy generated from breaking down glucose molecules is captured in the form of ATP and NADH during cellular respiration, allowing living things to perform life functions.