Question

Defined c4 plant pathways. ​

Answer 1

What Is a C4 Plant?

A C4 plant sounds like something that should be associated with Hollywood action movies! However, it is just a type of plant that uses a specific photosynthesis mechanism (C4 photosynthesis) in order to avoid photorespiration. Photorespiration is a wasteful reaction that occurs when plants take in oxygen and give out carbon dioxide instead of taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.

All plants make energy during the Calvin cycle (the process where plants take up CO2 and turn it into sugar energy); however, in hot, sunny, dry climates, C4 plants are much more efficient than C3 plants (plants that perform C3 photosynthesis - the most common type).

The difference between C3 and C4 plants is that C4 plants make a four-carbon sugar during the Calvin cycle instead of two three-carbon sugars as in C3 plants. This larger sugar in C4 plants brings more CO2 to the RuBisCO enzyme, reducing oxygen levels and making the process energy-intensive. More CO2 is brought into the process because of how cells are located.

C4 plants like very sunny areas with warm temperatures. They can withstand cool evening temperatures.

Answer 2

$\huge\textbf{\underline{The\; C4 \;Pathway}}$

$\implies$In C4 plants photo respiration does not happens.

$\implies$When Rubisco is reacted with oxygen to produce useless product. This process is called as photo respiration.

$\bigstar$Hatch and slack pathway:-

$\implies$C4 plants have a mechanism of increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide. If concentration of carbon dioxide is increased then it reaction produce glucose.

$\implies$carbon dioxide is fixed by an enzyme called PEP carboxylase. This enzyme is not affected by oxygen to produce C4 acid (oxalic acid). Oxalic acid will lose one molecule of carbon dioxide (loosing CO2 is called as decarboxylation) to produce a C3 acid (malic acid).

$\implies$Hence this cycle continues from mesophyll cell to bundle cell in the presence of enzyme called PEP carboxylase and Rubisco.

Note: Refer the attachment for the diagram.