Traditionally, oxygen is required for living organisms. Therefore, it was quite surprising to read the title of the article "CO2 is necessary for plants for ...". See the answer to this riddle below.
Carbon dioxide and its properties
Carbon dioxide, carbonic anhydrite, carbon dioxide - all these are the names of the same substance. This is a well-known carbon dioxide. Under normal conditions, this substance is in a gaseous state, while it is colorless and odorless. When air temperature decreases, carbon dioxide hardens and becomes white. In this modification, it is called "dry ice". This is a fairly chemically active substance. Carbon dioxide reacts with metals, oxides and alkalis. It is able to form an unstable compound with hemoglobin of the blood, like oxygen. So gas exchange is carried out using the circulatory system. It is not a toxic substance, but at high concentrations it is classified as toxic gas.
In nature, it is formed as a result of breathing of living organisms, rot and burning. In the gaseous state, carbon dioxide dissolves in water. That is why it is possible to talk about CO2 supply systems in aquariums with plants and their need for normal life of algae. It has carbon dioxide and industrial value. It is widely used in the food industry as a baking powder and preservative. In a liquefied state, they are filled with fire extinguishers and automatic fire extinguishing systems.
What is photosynthesis
First of all, CO2 is necessary for plants for the most important process that has planetary significance - photosynthesis. In its course, a glucose carbohydrate is formed from a number of inorganic substances. It is it that plants use for nutrition, growth, development, and other vital processes. In addition, another product of this reaction is oxygen - the main condition for the existence of all living things on the planet, since it is necessary for breathing. Gas exchange in a plant is possible due to the presence of special formations, stomata, in the integumentary tissue of their leaves. Each of them consists of two wings. Under certain conditions, they close and open. Through them, both oxygen and carbon dioxide enter.
Photosynthesis conditions
Photosynthesis occurs only in specialized structures of the main and integumentary tissue of the leaf. They are called chloroplasts. Their internal contents are represented by gran and stroma thylakoids, on which the coloring substance , the chlorophyll pigment, is located. It gives some parts of the plant a green color. In choroplasts, photosynthesis occurs only under certain conditions. This is the presence of sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. And the result of this chemical reaction is the formation of organic matter glucose and oxygen gas. The first of them is the source of life of the plants themselves, the second is used by all the others for breathing. This process has planetary significance.
Carbon dioxide and plants
How to prove the need for CO2? Very simple. Since carbon dioxide is released in nature as a result of respiration, its lack in nature is not observed. However, there is not much of it in aquarium water due to the small species diversity of living organisms. Therefore, if you do not use special installations for supplying carbon dioxide, after a certain time its amount will not be enough for the intensive process of photosynthesis. After all, CO2 is necessary for plants in order to independently produce nutrients. Timely and constant supply of carbon dioxide into the water will be a condition that your aquarium is filled with lush and bright algae.
Gas needed by plants for respiration: the importance of oxygen
It turns out that as a result of their vital activity, plants emit oxygen, but do not absorb it. Then the question arises: how do they breathe, and in general do they have a process of oxidation and decomposition of organic substances? Of course, like all other living organisms, they use the same oxygen. It turns out that two practically opposite processes simultaneously occur in plants. This is photosynthesis and respiration. Each of them is necessary for the normal functioning of plants.
Photosynthesis and respiration: more important
The uniqueness of plants lies in the fact that they are the only living creatures that produce both oxygen and carbon dioxide almost simultaneously. But this does not mean at all that they are dangerous and cannot be located in residential premises. The thing is that plants produce much more oxygen than carbon dioxide.
In order not to disturb this natural balance, it is necessary to observe the conditions for the course of these processes. For example, if sunlight does not penetrate a room with indoor plants, photosynthesis does not occur. In this case, the formation of glucose stops. But the process of breathing continues. A large amount of carbon dioxide accumulates in the air. And in this case, the plants can become dangerous. In the end, both of these processes are vital. Only through oxygen do plants breathe, and with the help of carbon dioxide they produce glucose and feed.
So, CO2 is necessary for plants to carry out the process of obtaining organic substances - photosynthesis, which is of the utmost importance on a planetary scale.