What would happen if plants carrried out photosynthesis and respiration at the same rate?

Answer 1

No net production of Oxygen!

Since rate of oxygen production during photosynthesis = rate o oxygen consumption during respiration.

The same applies for Carbon Dioxide

Thus the entire CO2 composition will shoot up from the present 0.03% of the atmosphere .
Then Global warming would occur rapidly.

Your question is equivalent to " What would happen if there were no TREES??"

Answer 2

it depends how the rate of each was adjusted, as there are a couple possibilities

if the rate of respiration was to increase so that it was equal to that of photosynthesis, then in addition to producing extra oxygen, plants would also produce extra CO2. Because nothing else uses the CO2, as "Som" said, global warming would become inevitable, and the planet probably wouldn't have much time before everything died off. (it seems as if we're making this happen anyway... *sigh* thats a story for another day though...)

If the rate of photosynthesis was to decrease in order to match the rate of respiration, then there would be no extra oxygen made. Heterotrophs depend on the oxygen output of autotrophs, and without it we would all die, as we would no longer be able to respire.

If the two met in the middle, I believe we'd probably have a mix of the two extremes.

Bottom line, if photosynthesis and respiration occurred at the same rate, the heterotrophs would be doomed, and maybe the autotrphs too. Not to sound melodramatic.

Answer 3

Well... they do at certain times during the day, Don't they? Dusk and Dawn If I am not mistaken?

(Been a long time since I studied this subject?)

But I think if they did it at the same rate all the time, the end result would be either a kind of "plant obesity" (That's funny!) or plant anorexia (funnier!) Meaning that they would over store and over extend... and therefore die, leading to eventual global Warming which would kill us all...

Photosynthesis is the opposite of internal respiration so...

I realize that I am answering this with an attempt at an educated guess, but you stumped me really, and got me thinking about something I haven't thought about in years... Thanks! I will go study it!

Let me know if I am right... or even close?

Answer 4

They do. Just because photosynthesis is taking place, doesn't mean that they aren't also respiring (at the very least all of the cells in the roots have to be).
It is quite possible for the same cell to be doing both: one takes place in the chloroplast, the other in the mitochondria. However, if the cells are in good light the net production of carbohydrates will remain positive as photosynthesis will be making them faster than respiration is breaking them back down.

Answer 5

They would not store extra food.