Final answer:
All plants and animals use cellular respiration to obtain energy from food, converting glucose and oxygen into ATP. Photosynthesis provides these substrates by converting solar energy into chemical energy, illustrating an interdependent relationship within ecosystems. Correct option is d. cellular respiration to obtain energy from food.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process that all plants and animals use to obtain energy from food is called cellular respiration. This is an essential biological process whereby cells convert sugars, specifically glucose, and oxygen into energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It's a complex journey that involves several stages including glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Notably, photosynthesis plays a fundamental role in providing the necessary glucose and oxygen for cellular respiration, particularly in plants, where it captures solar energy to create these vital compounds.
Furthermore, there are alternative processes such as lactic acid fermentation and alcoholic fermentation, which occur in the absence of oxygen, generally referred to as anaerobic conditions. Fermentative processes provide energy when oxygen is scarce, although less efficiently than aerobic respiration. Specifically, lactic acid fermentation takes place in muscle cells and certain bacteria, while alcoholic fermentation is known to occur in yeast and some plant cells.
It is important to highlight that oxygen and glucose, the key ingredients for cellular respiration, are byproducts of photosynthesis, thus illustrating the interdependence of these two processes. In ecosystems, plants generate these materials through photosynthesis, and animals, in turn, consume the plants and use the oxygen and glucose for cellular respiration. This interlinked relationship is vital for the flow of energy through the biosphere.