Question

although plants do not need to eat to obtain their energy, they do undergo cellular respiration. why do you think that is? describe in the text box below.

Explanation:

Plants use photosynthesis to make glucose (their energy source). But to convert that glucose into ATP (the energy - carrying molecule that can be directly used by cells), they need cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is a process that breaks down glucose in the presence of oxygen (or in some cases, without oxygen in anaerobic respiration) to release energy in the form of ATP. Just like animals, plant cells need ATP for various cellular processes such as active transport (e.g., taking up minerals from the soil against the concentration gradient), biosynthesis (making proteins, nucleic acids, etc.), and movement (in some plant cells like pollen tubes).

Answer:

Plants undergo cellular respiration to convert the glucose produced during photosynthesis into ATP. ATP is the immediate energy source for plant cells, which is required for processes like active transport, biosynthesis, and cellular movement.