7. Here's how it relates:
Quality Maintenance
Respiration continues in harvested fruits,
vegetables, and other perishable crops even after they are
picked. This ongoing metabolic process can lead to the
breakdown of stored carbohydrates, proteins, and other
compounds, affecting the texture, flavor, and nutritional
content of the produce. Post-harvest strategies must
consider the respiration rates to maintain product quality.
8. Shelf Life
The rate of respiration in post-harvest crops
directly impacts their shelf life. Products with high
respiration rates, such as certain fruits, are more
perishable and have shorter shelf lives. Proper
management of respiration can extend the time during
which products remain fresh and marketable.
9. Temperature Management
Controlling the temperature of harvested crops is a key
strategy in post-harvest management. Lower temperatures can
slow down respiration rates, reducing the metabolic activity of the
produce. This is why many products are stored in refrigerated or
controlled atmosphere environments to prolong their freshness.
Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)
MAP involves altering the composition of the atmosphere
around the harvested product to control respiration. By adjusting
oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, MAP can slow down
respiration, reduce spoilage, and extend shelf life.
10. Ethylene Control
Ethylene is a natural plant hormone that can accelerate
the respiration and ripening of certain fruits and vegetables. Post-
harvest strategies often involve managing ethylene exposure to
control the rate of respiration and delay ripening, ensuring
products reach consumers in optimal condition.
Loss Prevention
High respiration rates can lead to the generation of heat
and moisture, creating an environment conducive to microbial
growth and decay. Understanding respiration helps in designing
storage and transportation systems that minimize such losses,
reducing food waste.
11. The process of respiration in plants involves using the sugars
produced during photosynthesis plus oxygen to produce energy for plant
growth. In many ways, respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis. In the
natural environment, plants produce their own food to survive.
They use the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the environment to produce
sugars and oxygen (O2), which can later be utilized as a source of
energy. While photosynthesis takes place in the leaves and stems only,
respiration occurs in the leaves, stems and roots of the plant. The process
of respiration is represented as follows:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + 32 ATP (energy)
RESPIRATION PROCESS IN PLANTS
14. Role of Air Temperature
Plant respiration happens 24 hours a day, but
night respiration is more obvious as the
photosynthesis process finishes. During the
night, it is very vital that the temperature is
much cooler as compared to the daytime
because plants can undergo stress. Imagine a
marathon runner. The runner breathes at higher
rates than an individual standing still; so, a
runner’s amount of respiration is greater and
the temperature of the body rises. The same
principle relates to plants, as the temperature at
night rises, the respiration rate increases, and
similar temperature increases. This action
would result in flower damage and also in plant
poor growth.
Respiration in Roots
In plants, respiration occurs with the help of roots.
In soil oxygenated air is already present in spaces
between soil particles. This oxygen is then
absorbed into the roots with the help of root hair
present on the roots. The hairs of the roots are in
straight contact with them. In fact, root hair is a
lateral tubular outgrowth of the external epidermal
cells of a root. The oxygen present among the soil
particles diffuses into the root hairs. From root
hairs, oxygen is transported to all the parts of
roots for respiration. During the respiration
process, oxygen is transformed into carbon
dioxide gas which is spread in the opposite
direction i.e. out of the roots by the same root
hairs which complete the respiration process of
roots.
15. Respiration in Leaves
In leaves, the exchange of
respiratory gases occurs through very
small pores called stomata. The stomata
are present in big numbers on the lower
side of the leaves of the plant. Every
stoma has a tiny pore at its center which
is enclosed and regulated by two kidney-
shaped cells known as guard cells. When
the stoma opens the exchange of gases
occurs between the atmosphere and
interior of the leaf by the method of
diffusion and that completes the process
of respiration in leaves.
Respiration in Stems
In the plants taking herbaceous stem
exchange of gases occurs through stomata and
the carbon dioxide CO2 formed during the process
that gets diffused into the air with the help of
stomata only. While in the plants having hard and
woody stems the exchange of gases occurs
through lenticels. Lenticels are usually loosely
packed dead cells that are present as tiny pores on
the bark of woody plants. These allow oxygen to
pass to the intercellular spaces of the inside of
tissues and carbon dioxide (CO2) to be liberated
into the atmosphere by the phenomena of diffusion
which completes the process of respiration in
stems.
22. GROUP 3 MEMBERS
Josephine G. Asia
Althea Kim Elar
Myra M. Cabubas
Bea Alexa Bonguit J.
Bonguit
Angelina Macabidang Mario Belarmino
Welmar Flor
Jelyn C. Servo Jarred L. Gutierrez
Rona Dela Peña
