Solar and Plant Cells Compared
Tiffany L. Triggs
Strayer University

The Importance of Energy For plant Earth, the Sun is the main source for all energy. It is the main essential thing that provides us with light, warmth and energy. Some organisms, such as plants and algae, create their own food using the sun as their main source of energy. In turn the fuel the rest of the world by creating energy for animals and humans after being consumed. They also remove carbon dioxide from the air and replenish oxygen for us to breath. This process, through which this energy is harnessed and used to create food, or carbohydrates, is called photosynthesis. Can the energy of the sun be harnessed by humans to create energy? It can be and it is through the use of solar cells. Photosynthesis and solar cells are similar, yet different in a few ways.
Creating Our Own Energy Humans have figured out how to use the power of the sun for energy. Using Solar panels containing semiconductors, we can turn the sun into electricity, a very popular form of energy. In this way, photosynthesis and solar cells are similar, both using the suns light to create a form of energy. The type of energy created, however, is where one difference comes into play. Plants create a chemical energy known as carbohydrates, a simple organic compound of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, while solar cells use semiconductors to produce electricity.
Use of Electrons Solar Cells and Photosynthesis both use a form of an electron transport system to create their energy. In photosynthesis, during the light reaction phase, electrons are lost and replaced by splitting water molecules and the electrons are passed down an electron transport chain, releasing energy on the way. In solar cells, during the light absorption process, electrons are separated from the atoms and are transferred using metal