Respiratory Substrates (A-level Biology)
Respiratory Substrates
Use of Respiratory Substances
Use of Glucose by Plants
Plants use the glucose in several ways:
- Respiratory substrate – plants use some of the glucose in respiration to produce energy to drive several roles (e.g. photosynthesis, plant growth).
- Biomass – plants use the rest of the glucose to make other groups of biological molecules. For example, glucose can be converted to cellulose for plant cell walls, or to starch for storage. These biological molecules form the biomass of the plants.
The chemical energy stored in plants is the beginning of the food chain. When the primary consumer eats the plant, the stored energy is passed on the food chain. Then when secondary consumers eat the primary consumer, energy is transferred again.
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