Final answer:
Matter cycles through both photosynthesis and cellular respiration, while energy flows from photosynthesis to cellular respiration. These processes are interconnected, with photosynthesis converting light energy into glucose, and cellular respiration converting glucose into usable energy in the form of ATP, while also producing carbon dioxide and water.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct option a) states that matter cycles in both processes; energy flows from photosynthesis to cellular respiration. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are interconnected processes that form the basis of the carbon cycle or the energy cycle, as some might suggest.
During photosynthesis, light energy is captured by chloroplasts to build carbohydrates, such as glucose, which store energy. Oxygen is released as a byproduct. The energy stored in glucose is then available for use in cellular activities. In cellular respiration, which occurs in the cytoplasm and mitochondria, organisms use oxygen to metabolize carbohydrates, releasing energy in the form of ATP. Carbon dioxide and water are produced as byproducts.
These two biological processes work in a cyclical manner, with the products of one process serving as the reactants for the other. This relationship between the two processes is not only essential for the recycling of oxygen and carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere but also for the maintenance of energy flow within biological systems. Consequently, plants contain both chloroplasts for photosynthesis and mitochondria for respiration, allowing them to interconvert essential metabolites.