By which process is carbon dioxide released from plants back to the atmosphere?

• A. Photosynthesis
• B. Ammonification
• C. Phosphorylation
• D. Evaporation
• E. Respiration

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that plants, like all living organisms, undergo cellular respiration, a process that releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
2. Recall that during cellular respiration, glucose and oxygen are converted into carbon dioxide, water, and energy (ATP). The chemical equation for this process is: ${C6H12O6}_{}+6{O2}_{}\to 6{\mathrm{CO}2}_{}+6{H2O}_{}+\mathrm{ATP}$.
3. Recognize that photosynthesis is the process by which plants take in carbon dioxide and convert it into glucose and oxygen, which is the opposite of respiration.
4. Identify that ammonification and phosphorylation are not processes that release carbon dioxide. Ammonification is part of the nitrogen cycle, and phosphorylation is a biochemical process involving the addition of a phosphate group.
5. Conclude that the correct process by which carbon dioxide is released from plants back to the atmosphere is cellular respiration.