Final answer:
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are intricately linked processes that form the carbon cycle, wherein each process uses the other's products as reactants to maintain balance in the ecosystem.
Step-by-step explanation:
Connection Between Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration:
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are interrelated processes that cycle matter within an ecosystem. In photosynthesis, plants, algae, and certain bacteria use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2). This process can be represented as A (CO2) + B (H2O) -> C (C6H12O6) + D (O2). Conversely, cellular respiration takes the glucose produced by photosynthesis and converts it back into CO2 and H2O, releasing energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). These two processes form a cycle that recycles oxygen in Earth's atmosphere and regulates atmospheric levels of CO2. The relationship between the two is such that the reactants of one process are the products of the other, illustrating the carbon cycle within ecosystems.