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Question

Question: Is banana C3 or C4?...

Is banana C3 or C4?

Explanation

Solution

C3 and C4 means the number of carbon atoms present in the sugar molecules that are produced as a result of photosynthesis. CAM is Crassulacean acid metabolism in which carbon dioxide is fixed at night. Basically, C3 plants are better under cool temperatures, moist conditions, and C4 are familiar to hot and dry, and CAM are to arid conditions.

Complete answer:
Many different monocot species are present with C4 photosynthesis; the banana family, i.e., Musaceae has C3 plants.
This involves the most commonly consumed variety of banana in most countries, i.e., the Cavendish banana.
Various groups of plants have developed different systems for coping with the problem of photorespiration. These plants are referred to as C4 plants and CAM plants. Initially bound carbon dioxide using a much more efficient enzyme, also initially attach carbon dioxide to PEP and form OAA.
There is absence of rubisco in the mesophyll cells. Therefore, in C4 plants, C4 carbon fixation has a total added energy of 1 ATP for each CO2CO_2 provided to rubisco; however, C4 plants are less likely to die due to dehydration compared to C3 plants in dry conditions.
A lot of cactus and other succulent plants with CAM metabolism unfold their stomata at night and close them during the day. CO2CO_2 is fixed into malate during the night because air temperatures are so lower at night as compared to the day. The basic role of stomata is to regulate transpiration and photosynthesis.
Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants reduce photorespiration and help in saving water by separating these steps in time, between night and day.

Therefore, we can say that bananas are a C3 plant.

Note:
Photorespiration is a wasteful pathway that happens when the Calvin cycle enzyme rubisco works on oxygen rather than carbon dioxide. Photorespiration is also referred to as the C2 cycle as the primary product formed is phosphoglycolate which is a 2 carbon molecule.