Question

give reason for the following statement.
the root cells also need oxygen.​

Answer 1

Answer:

Root cells need oxygen because root cells, like the rest of the cells in a plant, are living cells that carry out cellular respiration.

Cellular respiration is the process by which food, such as sugar, is broken down and the energy stored within its chemical bonds harnessed to form ATP, a molecule that provides the energy for many biological reactions. One of the important parts of cellular respiration is the electron transport chain.

In the electron transport chain or ETC, electrons are transferred from electron donors (molecules that can give electrons to other molecules) to electron acceptors (molecules that can accept electrons from other molecules). This process releases energy, and the energy is used to move protons from inside the mitochondria to between the inner and outer membranes of the mitochondria. This creates a proton gradient, as the concentration of H+ between the mitochondrial membranes is significantly higher than the concentration of H+ inside the mitochondria.

ATP synthase, an enzyme, harnesses this difference in gradient to create ATP from ADP and Pi in a manner analogous to a hydroelectric dam using water rushing downward (from a high place to a low place, i.e. from a high concentration to a low concentration) to generate electricity.

However, at the end of the ETC, the transferred electrons have to go somewhere. This is where oxygen comes in. Oxygen is the final electron acceptor. It accepts two electrons from the ETC and is excreted by the plant. More electrons can now move along the ETC.

In conclusion, oxygen is the final electron acceptor in cellular respiration, a process that creates ATP, an energy-storing molecule. ATP is needed by root cells because they are still living cells, and undergo cellular processes that use energy to keep them alive.

Explanation: