Do Plants Emit Oxygen And Carbon Dioxide At Night? - Britannica

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Do Plants Emit Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide at Night? Most plants release only one gas at night, but there are exceptions. Ask Anything Homework Help Written by Melissa Petruzzello Melissa Petruzzello (she/her) is Assistant Managing Editor and covers plants, algae, fungi, insects, spiders, renewable energy and environmental engineering. She also handles certain topics in Christianity,... Melissa Petruzzello Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use energy from the sun to make food. They use carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to make sugar and oxygen. Most plants release oxygen only during the day, when the sun can power photosynthesis. The exceptions to this general rule are the plants (mostly cacti, bromeliads, and certain succulents) that rely on an alternative photosynthetic pathway called crassulacean acid metabolism, or CAM, which allows them to keep their leaf stomata closed during the day to reduce water loss. These plants do release some oxygen at night when the stomata open and the oxygen can escape.

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Carbon dioxide is not released during photosynthesis, but small amounts of that gas are emitted both day and night as a by-product of cellular respiration. It is worth noting that the majority of plants absorb carbon dioxide during the day for photosynthesis and do so in greater amounts than they release for cellular respiration.

Melissa Petruzzello