You will find carbon throughout the process of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Each of these processes has its own equation, like you see below. In photosynthesis carbon dioxide is a reactant along with water while the product is oxygen and glucose. Therefore carbon plays a huge role in the creation and function of photosynthesis.
Cellular respiration is the opposite of photosynthesis. Therefore the reactants of cellular respiration are oxygen and glucose while the products are carbon dioxide and water. To convert glucose to carbon dioxide two things must occur 1.) aerobic respiration and 2.)glycolysis.
CELLULAR RESPIRATION EQUATION: C6H12O6 + 6O2 ----> 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy
PHOTOSYNTHESIS EQUATION: 6CO2+ 6H2O ----> C6H12O6+ 6O2
Resources for this post:http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/michael.gregory/files/bio%20101/bio%20101%20lectures/Cellular%20Respiration/cellular.htm
http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/CalvinCycle.html
