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How do plants carry out metabolic processes?

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Color-enhanced electron micrograph showing yellow mitochondria and blue endoplasmic reticulum within magenta-stained hepatocyte liver cells at high magnification. — Metabolism Electron micrograph of hepatocyte cells showing mitochondria (yellow). The primary function of mitochondria is to generate large quantities of energy in the form of ATP, which captures chemical energy from the metabolic breakdown of food molecules.

Plants carry out metabolic processes through a series of chemical reactions known as metabolic pathways. These pathways are facilitated by enzymes, which are proteins that speed up reactions without being consumed.1

Plants are autotrophs, meaning they produce their own food using inorganic compounds and carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, powered by light energy. Photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH. This energy is then used in the dark reactions (Calvin-Benson cycle) to convert carbon dioxide into sugars like glucose.23

Glucose is a primary product, often stored as starch or transported as sucrose. It can then enter glycolysis or the pentose phosphate pathway in the cytoplasm. Glycolysis breaks down glucose into malate, producing ATP and NADH. Malate enters the mitochondria to fuel the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which generates more ATP and reduced coenzymes. These processes provide the energy and building blocks for plant growth, reproduction, and maintenance.145