You know now how plants can transform energy from the sun and store it. Then, cellular respiration occurs to convert the energy stored in plants into other forms of energy. In this activity, you will learn about cellular respiration in plants. 

 

Both plants (and animals) use a process called cellular respiration in which the food that is produced undergoes chemical change and releases energy.
 
  Cellular respiration takes place in the part of the cell called the mitochondrion. The  mitochondrion is like a cell's power plant. The mitochondrion convert energy from the food into a form of energy that the cell uses to grow and do its work.

It works like this:

The mitochondrion takes in nutrients (glucose and oxygen), breaks them down, and creates energy for the cell. The glucose is broken down into carbon dioxide and water. When it does that, there is a release of energy and the organism (plant or animal) uses that energy to function.

1. Photosynthesis stores energy.
2. Cellular respiration releases energy. This released energy is the only form of energy the cell can use for all its activities.

The image below shows the connection between photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Look at the arrows, these processes form a cycle. 

 
The reaction in cellular respiration is basically the opposite of the reaction that occurs during photosynthesis:

 

This energy is important for plants to grow and to produce fruit and/or seeds (to reproduce). In the next lesson, you will also see how humans and other animals depend on the processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration to survive.