Plant Life - Comparison of Photosynthesis and Respiration

Photosynthesis is an anabolic (building-up) process where green plants manufacture food in the form of glucose ($C_6H_{12}O_6$) using carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and water ($H_2O$) in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll.

Respiration is a catabolic (breaking-down) process where living cells oxidize glucose ($C_6H_{12}O_6$) to release energy in the form of $ATP$ ($Adenosine$ $Triphosphate$), with carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) and water ($H_2O$) as by-products.

The primary site for photosynthesis is the chloroplast, whereas aerobic respiration occurs mainly in the mitochondria of the cell.

Photosynthesis occurs only during the daytime (in the presence of light), while respiration is a continuous process that occurs both day and night in all living cells.

During the day, the rate of photosynthesis is much higher than the rate of respiration; therefore, there is a net release of oxygen ($O_2$) and intake of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$).

At night, photosynthesis stops due to the absence of light, but respiration continues, leading to the intake of oxygen ($O_2$) and the release of carbon dioxide ($CO_2$).