Compare And Contrast Cellular Respiration And Photosynthesis

Cellular respiration and photosynthesis are fascinating, complicated, and important processes that are essential to life. Cellular respiration exists in animal and plants, whereas photosynthesis only exists in plants due to the chloroplast organelle. Cellular respiration starts with glucose, and oxygen and the photosynthesis process on the other hand starts off with the absorption of photons of light from the sun.While the end products of cellular respiration are carbon dioxide, water, and ATP, the end products of photosynthesis are oxygen, water, and glucose. Cellular respiration occurs in the mitochondria whereas photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast. Cellular respiration occurs in three steps: Glycolysis, Krebs Cycle, and Oxidative Phosphorylation. …show more content…
NADH is more efficient, therefore if they are the ones shuttling the energy, the total ATP production will be closer to 32. While the first step of cellular respiration (Glycolysis) is a catabolism of carbon molecules, photosynthesis’s last step of the calvin cycle is anabolism of carbon molecules. Cellular respiration starts with Glycolysis in the cytosol, splitting the six carbon molecule into two pyruvate molecules, each consisting of three carbons. This process requires two ATP’s and eventually generates four ATP’s which results in a net of two ATP’s. Glycolysis also gains two NADH’s which are then shuttled as two FADH. NADH and FADH are high energy molecules that help make ATP. The next step is the Kreb cycle where each pyruvate is brought to the inner mitochondrial membrane and gives off NADH, FADH, and a little ATP. The next step is oxidative phosphorylation where electrons go through the electron transport chain and H+ protons are pumped out. The source of energy and source of electrons are carried by FADH and NADH from glucose. A concentration gradient is formed between the intermembrane space and inner