C4 plants are more efficient in photosynthesis than C3 plants due to:...
Explanation:
C3 and C4 plants are two types of plants based on their carbon fixation pathway during photosynthesis. C4 plants have a more efficient photosynthetic mechanism than C3 plants due to the following reasons:
1. Lower rate of photorespiration: C4 plants have evolved a mechanism to overcome the problem of photorespiration, which is a wasteful process that occurs in C3 plants. Photorespiration occurs when the concentration of oxygen in the leaf cells is higher than carbon dioxide, leading to the breakdown of organic compounds and release of carbon dioxide. C4 plants have a specialized structure called Kranz anatomy, which separates the initial carbon fixation step from the rest of the photosynthetic process, reducing the rate of photorespiration.
2. Presence of larger number of chloroplasts in the leaf cells: C4 plants have a higher number of chloroplasts in their leaf cells than C3 plants. This allows for a greater surface area for photosynthesis, leading to a higher rate of carbon fixation.
3. Higher leaf area: C4 plants have larger leaves than C3 plants, which increases their surface area for photosynthesis.
4. Presence of thin cuticle: C4 plants have a thinner cuticle on their leaves than C3 plants. This allows for greater gas exchange between the leaf and the environment, leading to a higher rate of carbon fixation.
In conclusion, C4 plants are more efficient in photosynthesis than C3 plants due to their lower rate of photorespiration, larger number of chloroplasts in the leaf cells, higher leaf area, and thinner cuticle.
C4 plants are more efficient in photosynthesis than C3 plants due to:...
C4 plants are more efficient than C3 due to their high rate of photosynthesis and reduced rate of photorespiration. The main enzyme of carbon fixation (Calvin cycle) is RuBisCO, i.e. ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase oxygenase. It has an affinity for both CO2 and O2. When carbon dioxide concentration is low, RuBisCO takes up oxygen to perform photorespiration. In C4 plants, photorespiration is highly reduced because carbon dioxide concentration is high at the RuBisCO site.
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