Explain why plants have a net intake of carbon dioxide during the day, but at night they take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide??
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During the day, the presence of sunlight allows the plants to photosynthesise. Thus the plants will take in carbon dioxide, and together with water, in the presence of sunlight produces glucose, water and oxygen gas.
At night, the absence of sunlight does not allow the plant to photosynthesise and thus it respires, taking in oxygen, and reacts with the manufactured glucose to produce energy, water and carbon dioxide gas.
So the main idea is the presence of sunlight. If the plant was placed in a brightly lit room at night, it would still photosynthesis taking in carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.
At night, the absence of sunlight does not allow the plant to photosynthesise and thus it respires, taking in oxygen, and reacts with the manufactured glucose to produce energy, water and carbon dioxide gas.
So the main idea is the presence of sunlight. If the plant was placed in a brightly lit room at night, it would still photosynthesis taking in carbon dioxide and producing oxygen.