Final answer:
Photosynthesis in plants is a non-example of metabolizing energy and releasing waste because it uses energy from sunlight to build carbohydrates and does not break down molecules to release energy. It's an anabolic process, while cellular respiration is catabolic, releasing energy and producing waste.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer to the question is b) Photosynthesis in plants. This is a non-example of metabolizing energy and releasing waste because photosynthesis does not break down molecules to release energy; instead, it utilizes energy from sunlight to build carbohydrates like glucose from carbon dioxide and water. In essence, photosynthesis is an anabolic process where energy is consumed to create complex molecules, as opposed to catabolic processes like cellular respiration, which involve the breakdown of complex molecules to release energy in the form of ATP. The key difference is that photosynthesis stores energy in glucose bonds, while processes like cellular respiration, digesting food and absorbing nutrients, and breaking down glucose all involve the release of stored energy from chemical bonds.
During photosynthesis, plants convert carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O) into glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and oxygen (O₂), using light energy captured by pigments like chlorophyll. This process is critical to life on Earth as it is the primary route by which energy enters the ecosystems. Unlike catabolic reactions, this process doesn't release waste in the form of CO₂; rather, it uses CO₂ as a raw material.
In contrast, cellular respiration is the process by which organisms break down glucose in the presence of oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP, the energy currency of cells. This is an example of a catabolic reaction, which releases energy that cells need for life processes.