Green plants are autotrophs and can synthesize all the molecules they need from simple starting materials: CO2, H2O, phosphate, sulfate, ammonium ions (NH4+), and small quantities of other mineral nutrients. Plants use the carbohydrates generated in photosynthesis to provide energy for processes such as active transport and anabolism. Both cellular respiration and fermentation can occur in plants, although the former is far more common. Unlike photosynthesis, plant cellular respiration occurs all the time in both the light and the dark.
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Photosynthesis is linked to cellular respiration, gluconeogenesis, and other metabolic pathways.
Photosynthesis is responsible for providing the energy needed by most organisms on Earth.