Question

Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to make glucose (food) for plants. These plants can then be eaten by animals. Carbon is used by plants and animals and returned to the biosphere through waste and decomposition. Living organisms use cellular respiration to convert food energy (glucose) into usable cellular energy (ATP). Photosynthesis and cellular respiration have a relationship in that the reactants of one are the products of the other. Arrows A and D in the graphic both show the process of cellular respiration. Using this information, what can you infer about the contribution of cellular respiration to the cycling of carbon through the carbon cycle?

Answer 1

Cellular respiration contributes to the carbon cycle by breaking down glucose to produce carbon dioxide, which plants can then use in photosynthesis, maintaining a balance in atmospheric gases.

Step-by-step explanation:

The contribution of cellular respiration to the cycling of carbon through the carbon cycle is significant. During cellular respiration, organisms use oxygen to break down glucose, resulting in the production of carbon dioxide and water as byproducts. This carbon dioxide is then released back into the atmosphere where it can be reused in photosynthesis. In this way, cellular respiration completes the cycle by converting the organic carbon in glucose back into inorganic carbon in the form of carbon dioxide, which is essential for photosynthesis in plants, algae, and certain bacteria. These interconnected processes ensure a constant recycling of carbon through the biosphere, creating a balance between the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in Earth's atmosphere.