Question : How is the burning of fossil fuels similar to and different from the process of respiration?
How is the burning of fossil fuels similar to and different from the process of respiration?I've got a big test tomorrow and would really love the help.
- asked by robinbatteau
All Answers: Answer #1To get the difference, we have to get the whole “carbon cycle”. Let's start with plants. Theytake in water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) andsplice a whole bunch of them using photosynthesistogether to form glucose. (C6H12O6) and oxygen.(O2) Animals, like us, then eat the plant andabsorb the glucose. Then, when we breath, therespiration you asked about breaks down theglucose and the oxygen we breathe back into carbondioxide and water, and produces some ATP to boot.So, because those carbon atoms come from the airand go right back to it, only to be used again byplants, it can be said that respiration is“carbon neutral”. Fossil fuels come from deepin the ground, where all the carbon was trapped.So when you burn it, turning oxygen and ahydrocarbon into carbon dioxide and water,“new” carbons are added to the system. Whiletechnically they were always there, it's theirsudden introduction in the last century which iscould be the cause of an ecological impact, thoughthis is debatable. But the point is, burningfossil fuels is a process of combustion, which isnot carbon neutral, whereas respiration is its ownprocess, and is carbon neutral.
- answered by Andrew W
Answer #2
they are both involved in gas exchange...
- answered by mago
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