Question
Question: The \[{{\text{C}}_{\text{4}}}\] plants differ from \[{{\text{C}}_{\text{3}}}\] plants with respect t...
The C4 plants differ from C3 plants with respect to
A) Substance that accepts CO2 in carbon assimilation
B) Type of end product
C) Type of pigment involved in photosynthesis
D) No.of ATP consumed in synthesis of sugar
Solution
C3 and C4are both carbon assimilation pathways in plants
Complete answer:
The C4 pathway of carbon fixation is also called Hatch and Slack pathway. It is mainly seen in monocots like maize, sugarcane. Since the final sugar us a 4-Carbon product, it is called the C4 pathway. These plants are called C4plants. The chloroplast of C4plants is dimorphic. The mesophyll cells chloroplasts are granal, whereas in bundle sheath cells they are agranal.
The granal chloroplasts contain thylakoids, stacked to form grana. In agranal chloroplasts of bundle sheath cells grana are absent. Thylakoids are present only as stroma lamellae.
The CO2from the atmosphere enters the mesophyll cells through the stomata and are fixed by phosphoenol pyruvate or PEP. An enzyme called phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase) catalyses the reaction. The product is a 4-C compound oxalo acetic acid or OAA. This is called carboxylation or fixation of CO2.
The next step of reaction is transport of oxalo acetic acid (OAA) from cytosol of mesophyll cells to chloroplasts of bundle-sheath cells, where it is decarboxylation occurs of release fixed CO2.
The other product of decarboxylation reaction is pyruvic acid which is a 3-carbon compound. This is transported back to mesophyll cells, where it regenerates PEP for continuation of C4pathway.
The C3 cycle is also known as the Calvin cycle. Mainly occurs in dicot plants and such plants are called C3 plants. It is a reaction occurring in the dark phase of photosynthesis. The reaction occurs in three distinct phases, carbonylative, reductive and regenerative phases.
The CO2from the atmosphere is fixed by Ribulose bisphosphate, RuBP which is a 5-C compound. An enzyme called ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase or simply RuBisCO is used as a catalyst. The end product of one turn of a C3cycle are
!! !! 2 glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) molecules, 3 ADP, and 2 NADP+. Each G3P molecule is composed of 3 carbons. Perhaps the cycle is called a C3 cycle.
Hence the correct answer is option (A.) Substance that accepts CO2in carbon assimilation.
Note: Apart from the C3and C4 cycles, plants, especially xerophytes have a special cycle called the Crassulacean acid mechanism or CAM pathway.