How does respiration fulfil the energy requirements of an organism?

How is respiration regulated?

Does photorespiration release energy?

Various types of transport mechanisms are needed to fulfil the mineral requirements of a plant. Why are they not fulfilled by diffusion alone?

How is respiration different from breathing?

Apart from plants and animals, microbes form a permanent biotic component in an ecosystem. While plants have been referred to as autotrophs and animals as heterotrophs, what are microbes referred as ? How do microbes fulfill their energy requirements?