Plants breathe through stomata and lenticels , tiny pores on the surface of leaves and on the stem, respectively. The respiration process of plants helps to regulate gas exchange within the atmosphere , since during photosynthesis plants absorb carbon dioxide and expel oxygen, while at night they do the reverse process. As you can see, plants then breathe just like us and animals, but since they don’t have lungs they must find other mechanisms to absorb oxygen.
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How does photosynthesis occur?
The Photosynthesis is the process by which the organism have chlorophyll (such as plants, algae and fungi) capture the light energy and convert it into chemical energy . . Photosynthesis has 2 stages:
- Light stage : It is the first stage, where the light energy is absorbed by the plant, being independent of the temperature. By capturing the energy of light, the plant “breaks” the water molecule (H 2 O), separating hydrogen (H) from oxygen (O). This will produce oxygen in the form of gas, which will be released into the environment. However, there will be energy that will not be released into the air, being retained in special molecules called ATP .
- Dark stage: This stage that follows does not need light, but is dependent on temperature. This stage occurs in chloroplasts and uses the products derived from the light stage. More specifically, the hydrogen that was formed in the previous stage (by breaking the water molecule) mixes with the carbon dioxide present in our air, creating some organic compounds, among which carbohydrates (mainly glucose ) stand out.
What are stomata?
The stomata are specialized structures in the epidermis of the plant, and can define them as small apertures in the sheets being, so to speak, the link between the environment and the interior of the plant. The stoma is made up of a pair of cells called occlusive cells, and between them there is a small hole called an ostiole. The occlusive cells would then be the ones that control the entry of gases into and out of the plant.
What are lenticels?
On the other hand, lenticels are openings that exist in the stem of plants, allowing the oxygen necessary for the plant to breathe as well as for the water to escape. Since the stem does not participate in the photosynthesis process, carbon dioxide does not enter through them.
