Question

How plant respiration is different from animal respiration. Describe the process of respiration in (1) root (2) stem (3) leaves with a suitable diagram.

Answer 1

Hint: Respiration is a chain of chemical reactions that enables all living entities to synthesize energy required to sustain. It is a biochemical process where the air moves between the external environment and the tissues and cells of the species. Plants and animals have their different ways of respiration; they respirate through different organs and have different end products.

Complete answer:

Respiration in Plants	Respiration in animals
Plants do not breathe, they only respire through their leaves.	Animals breathe air for cellular respiration.
Plant obtain oxygen directly from the air through stomata	Animals inhale oxygen from nose or gills into their respective respiratory organs
Carbon dioxide released during respiration is utilized by plants for the photosynthesis process.	Carbon dioxide released during respiration is not utilized by animals; it is released outside the body.
Respiratory organs are absent. Respiration takes place through diffusion.	Respiratory organs are present like lungs.
They produce little heat	They produce more heat.
One of the end products obtained is lactic acid.	One of the end products obtained is ethanol.
In night-time, plants take in oxygen and give out the carbon dioxide produced by respiration. At night photosynthesis stops but respiration occurs.	Animals take in oxygen through the lungs by internal and cellular respiration. It takes place inside the animal body and releases carbon dioxide.
Plants photosynthesize their glucose.	Animals obtain their glucose by the breakdown of carbohydrate molecules.
Plants release oxygen, as a by-product of photosynthesis	Animals obtain oxygen by breathing air inside the body.
Respiratory organs in plants are stomata in leaves, lenticels, and the surface of roots.	Respiratory organs in animals are generally the lungs and the gills.
The rate of respiration is slow.	The rate of respiration is fast.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Additional information:
> Respiration in roots:
a) Roots are the underground part of the plants.
b) The air from the air spaces found between the soil particles. Hence, absorbed oxygen through roots is utilized to liberate energy.
c) In the future, this energy is used to transport salts and minerals from the soil.
d) Oxygen present in the airspace of the soil gets diffused into the root hairs.

> Respiration in stem:
a) In higher plants, the stem possesses a small opening called lenticels through which oxygen gets diffused. Lenticels are known to perform gaseous exchange in woody or higher plants.
b) plants with green stems, they possess stomata through which oxygen gets diffused.
c) The air in the stem diffuses into the stomata and moves through different parts of the cell to respire.
d) During this stage, the carbon dioxide liberated is also diffused through the stomata.

> Respiration in leaves:
a) Leaves consist of tiny pores referred to as stomata. Gaseous exchange occurs through diffusion via stomata.
b) Guard cells regulate each of the stomata. The exchange of gases occurs with the closing and opening of the stoma between the inferior of leaves and the atmosphere.
c) The opening and closing of stomata help in the exchange of gases between leaves and the atmosphere and it is controlled by the guard cells.

Note: In plants, respiration uses oxygen to release energy from stored sugar and produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct. Plants are autotrophs whereas animals are heterotrophs. In plants, the respiratory gases simply diffuse in and out of the cell by cell division whereas in animals there is gaseous transport of gases. The basic difference between plant and animal respiration is the procurement of glucose and oxygen.