Describe the light reactions of photosynthesis and for both a C3 and C4 plant, trace the path of a CO2 molecule from the point at which it enters a plant to its incorporation in to the glucose molecule. Include leaf anatomy and biochemical pathways in your discussion of each type of plant. Read the question above and create a document in which you develop responses to the question. Evaluate your essay by using the rubric provided. After you review and make the necessary corrections to your essay, submit your assignment when finished.

Answer and Explanation:

Type C3 plants absorb CO2 through the stomata located on the leaves. Upon entering the plant, CO2 will be reduced into smaller molecules, which are simpler sugars and are easier to be metabolized. These sugars are glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone-phosphate. All of this transformation is done using ATP and NADPH + H + as energy currencies.

Upon entering the plant, CO2 is carboxylized by the enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylaseoxygenase, also called Rubisco. It is important to note that C3 plants have a very large variety of leaves, since this group has a very large variety of members such as beans, soybeans, cotton, all woody plants, arros, wheat, most grasses, among others.

C4 plants have some differences in the photosynthesis process. This is because to minimize losses and energy expenditure with photorespiration, which has as one of its functions, the capture of CO2 from the atmosphere, these plants have modified their leaf anatomy. These plants can separate the sheath of the vascular females and the cells of the mesophile (this separation does not exist in C3 plants). This type of plant has a concentration of carbon in the cells of the sheath, this causes RUBISCO to limit its performance only to the CO2 carbylation process and does not participate in photorespiration. We can mention as examples of C4 plants corn, sugarcane, sorghum Euphorbiaceae, among others.