Figure 1.

Scheme of general economic functioning of leaves and companies. (A) Leaves show similar behaviour to companies. A leaf acquires different resources (CO₂, light, nutrients and water) to synthesize carbohydrates (C gains) which can be used for maintenance (C expenses) or stored and/or exported to be used in various ways (transport of compounds to other organs, construction of new organs, etc.) (C investments). The carbon profit of the leaf will be then the difference between the carbon gains and the carbon expenses. (B) A company acquires the resources (work, capital and natural resources) through financial investment in activities (expenses) to make different products that are sold, resulting in gains (sales revenue). The overall financial profit of these activities will be the difference between the sales and the expenses.