What is the significance of photosynthesis and cellular respiration?
Significance of Respiration (1) It is the energy releasing and supplying process in all living organisms. (2) It converts food energy into metabolically usable forms of chemical energy. (3) Respiration releases energy in a controlled and step-wise manner as a result of which most of the released energy is properly utilized for the cellular activities (e.g. metabolism, cell division, growth, etc.) Only a small part of energy is lost as heat. (4) In other words, respiration conserves energy very efficiently. Out of the total 673 Kcal energy released per molecule of glucose, 456 Kcal is conserved as 38 ATP molecules. (5) Various intermediate products of glycolysis and Kreb’s cycle are used for biosynthesis of other complex organic compounds in cell metabolism. (6) Carbon dioxide, required for photosynthesis by green plants, is replenished by carbon dioxide released in respiration. Similarly, oxygen required for respiration is replenished by oxygen released in photosynthesis. Thus, photosy
