Topic: Plant Physiology

Subtopic: Respiration

Heading: Exchange gases

Heading: Cellular respiration

Title: Exchange gases, Cellular respiration

Exchange of gases in plants
 Unlike animals, plants do not have specialized respiratory organs such as lungs.
Instead, they rely on various structures like stomata and lenticels for gas exchange.
 Stomata are small pores primarily found on the surfaces of leaves and stems, while
lenticels are openings in the bark of woody stems and roots.
 These structures provide points of entry and exit for gases, facilitating the exchange of
oxygen and carbon dioxide.
 Each plant part, including leaves, stems, and roots, takes care of its own gas-exchange
needs. There is minimal transport of gases from one part to another.
 This independence is possible because the cells in different plant parts are in
proximity to the surfaces where gas exchange occurs.
 Plants have relatively low respiratory rates compared to animals. Roots, stems, and
leaves respire at rates much lower than those observed in animals.
 The low respiratory demands of plants mean that the gas exchange needs of individual
plant cells can be met without the necessity for highly specialized respiratory organs.
 During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen. This process
occurs in chloroplasts, mainly in the cells of leaves.
 Oxygen produced during photosynthesis is released within the cells where the process
takes place, minimizing the need for extensive transport of gases.
 In stems, the living cells are organized in thin layers inside and beneath the bark.
These cells have lenticels, which are openings that allow gas exchange.
 The interior cells of stems may be dead, providing mechanical support, but the living
cells at the surface facilitate gas exchange.
 Parenchyma cells, found in leaves, stems, and roots, are loosely packed, providing an
interconnected network of air spaces.
  This loose packing aids in the diffusion of gases, ensuring that most cells in a plant
have at least a part of their surface in contact with air.
 Glucose undergoes complete combustion during respiration, resulting in the
production of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) as end products. The released
energy is mostly in the form of heat.
 The overall chemical equation for the combustion of glucose is:
 C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6 H2O + Energy
 To make the energy released during respiration useful to the cell, glucose is oxidized
in several small steps rather than a single step.
 This allows some steps to release just enough energy to be coupled with the synthesis
of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the primary energy currency of cells.
 The combustion reaction in respiration requires oxygen as the final electron acceptor.
This process, known as aerobic respiration, occurs in the presence of oxygen.
 Some cells and organisms may live in environments where oxygen may be limited or
completely absent. Examples include:
 Facultative Anaerobes: These organisms can switch between aerobic and anaerobic
respiration based on the availability of oxygen. Examples include certain bacteria and
yeast.
 Obligate Anaerobes: These organisms can only survive in the absence of oxygen and
carry out anaerobic respiration. Examples include certain bacteria and archaea.
 The existence of anaerobic organisms and the ability of cells to perform glycolysis
without oxygen suggest that the first cells on Earth likely lived in an atmosphere
lacking oxygen.
 Over time, as oxygen levels increased, some organisms evolved to utilize aerobic
respiration, taking advantage of the increased energy yield from the complete
oxidation of glucose.

Title: Cellular respiration

 Cellular respiration is a complex set of metabolic processes that occur within cells to
convert organic molecules, typically glucose, into usable energy in the form of
adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
 Cellular respiration is essential for the production of ATP, the primary energy
currency in cells. It is a highly regulated and efficient process that occurs in
 eukaryotic cells, taking place in the cytoplasm and mitochondria. The efficiency of
cellular respiration allows cells to extract the maximum amount of energy from
glucose, ensuring the energy needs of the cell are met.
 Most plants primarily rely on aerobic respiration, which requires oxygen and is more
efficient in terms of ATP production.
 Some plants, especially under certain environmental conditions (e.g., waterlogged
soils), may undergo anaerobic respiration, leading to the production of ethanol or
other fermentation products.
 ATP generated through cellular respiration is used by plant cells for various energy-
demanding processes, including biosynthesis of macromolecules (proteins, nucleic
acids, lipids), active transport of ions across membranes, and cellular maintenance.
 Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are interconnected processes in plants. During
the day, when light is available, photosynthesis predominates, producing glucose and
oxygen. At night, or when light is limited, plants rely more on cellular respiration to
break down stored sugars and generate energy.
 Different tissues and organs in plants may exhibit variations in their rates of
respiration. For example, actively growing tissues, such as young leaves and root tips,
often have higher respiration rates than mature tissues.
 This process occurs in three main stages: glycolysis, the citric acid cycle (or Krebs
cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation (including the electron transport chain).

Stages of cellular respiration

 Glycolysis: Glycolysis is the initial step of cellular respiration. It involves the
breakdown of one glucose molecule into two pyruvate molecules. This process does
not require oxygen and occurs in the cytoplasm.
 Citric Acid Cycle (Krebs Cycle): The citric acid cycle completes the breakdown of
glucose by oxidizing Acetyl-CoA. It involves a series of chemical reactions that
release carbon dioxide and produce high-energy electron carriers (NADH and
FADH2).
 Oxidative Phosphorylation (Electron Transport Chain and ATP Synthesis): The
high-energy electrons carried by NADH and FADH2 are transferred through a series
of protein complexes in the electron transport chain (ETC). As electrons move
through the chain, energy is released, actively pumping protons (H +) across the inner
mitochondrial membrane. This creates a chemiosmotic gradient. The energy stored in
 this gradient is then used by ATP synthase to produce ATP through a process called
chemiosmosis. Oxygen serves as the final electron acceptor, combining with electrons
and protons to form water in a step known as the terminal electron acceptor.

Cellular respiration in plants.

Reference- NCERT Textbook for class XI.