C3 and C4 plants are two types of photosynthetic pathways in plants. The main difference between the two is the way they fix carbon dioxide. C4 plants have adapted to hot and dry environments by evolving a specialized carbon fixation pathway that is more efficient than the C3 pathway used by most plants.


The vascular bundle sheath is a layer of cells surrounding the vascular tissue in leaves. It plays an important role in the function of both C3 and C4 plants. However, the cells around the vascular bundle sheath in C3 and C4 plants have some differences.


In C3 plants, the cells around the vascular bundle sheath are relatively undifferentiated. They are not specialized for photosynthesis and do not contain chloroplasts. These cells are mainly involved in the transport of water, minerals, and carbohydrates between the vascular tissue and the mesophyll cells.


In C4 plants, the cells around the vascular bundle sheath are highly specialized. They are called bundle sheath cells and contain numerous chloroplasts. These cells are involved in the second step of the C4 carbon fixation pathway, where CO2 is released from a four-carbon molecule and fixed in the Calvin cycle. Bundle sheath cells are also involved in the transport of carbohydrates back to the mesophyll cells.


Despite the differences in the cells around the vascular bundle sheath, C3 and C4 plants share some similarities in their anatomy. Both types of plants have a well-defined vascular bundle that is surrounded by the bundle sheath cells. The bundle sheath cells also provide a physical barrier that prevents the diffusion of gases between the vascular tissue and the atmosphere. This is important for regulating the concentration of CO2 and O2 around the photosynthetic cells.


In summary, the cells around the vascular bundle sheath in C3 and C4 plants are different in terms of their specialization for photosynthesis. However, both types of plants share some common features in their anatomy and function. Understanding the differences and similarities between C3 and C4 plants is important for studying plant physiology and ecology, as well as for developing new crop varieties that are adapted to different environmental conditions.

In c3 plants there are no bundle sheath cells around vascular bundle but in c4 plants they are present around vascular bundle