Cell Metabolism

Photosynthesis and Cell Respiration

They both involve the exchange of the gases; oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Both reactions transform energy in one way or another - either storing it or releasing it.

Both the processes are performed by endosymbiotic organisms that lived inside all eukaryotic cells.

Photosynthesis is a system in plants that takes the sun's energy and creates food (mainly glucose). This process requires CO2 and water according to this general equation:



Notice here that Glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2) are products here

This differs from cellular respiration in the fact that Oxygen and Glucose are reactants and Carbon dioxide and waters are products :



You will here notice that they are essentially the reverse equations.

Both systems involve the movement of electrons through "electron transport chains." (Note that anaerobes using fermentation do not have an ETC).

ATP is created through ATP synthase and an electrochemical gradient (Hydrogen ions) in a process called chemiosmosis. (Again, this is only for autotrophs and aerobes or organisms with an ETC).

Both take place in a organelle thought to have been ingested (reason for the double membranes of mitochondria and chloroplasts).

Both have alternate pathways. Photosynthesis has C3, C4, and CAM pathways and respiration has fermentation.