Final answer:
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are interconnected processes that convert the sun's energy into chemical energy and recycle vital atmospheric gases. Photosynthesis creates glucose and oxygen from sunlight, while cellular respiration uses these products to release stored energy and produce carbon dioxide and water.
Step-by-step explanation:
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are vital chemical reactions that play a crucial role in harnessing the sun's energy into chemical energy for use by living organisms, all the while recycling carbon dioxide and oxygen. These processes are interconnected; the products of photosynthesis serve as the reactants for cellular respiration and vice versa. The two processes form a cycle essential for the carbon cycle and the maintenance of life on Earth.
During photosynthesis, autotrophic organisms like plants, algae, and some bacteria use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. Then, through cellular respiration, organisms, including the photosynthetic ones, metabolize glucose with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy in the form of ATP. Both processes are integral to the flow of energy through an ecosystem and the stability of atmospheric gases.
Photosynthesis captures energy from sunlight and fixes it in the form of glucose, a carbohydrate that stores this energy. Cellular respiration, on the other hand, breaks down glucose and releases stored energy to fuel cellular activities. Together, they enable life processes in photoautotrophic and heterotrophic organisms.