C4 and CAM plants are photosynthetic powerhouses that have evolved clever strategies to thrive in hot, arid environments. Unlike C3 plants, C4 plants minimize photorespiration by initially fixing CO2 in mesophyll cells using PEP carboxylase, producing a four-carbon compound that is then transported to bundle sheath cells where the Calvin cycle occurs. CAM plants take it a step further by separating these processes temporally; they open their stomata at night to fix CO2, storing it as an organic acid until daytime when the Calvin cycle runs. These adaptations allow C4 and CAM plants to use water more efficiently and survive in conditions where other plants might struggle. 🌵
Match each term with its definition:
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1. PEP Carboxylase | A. A metabolic pathway found in C3 plants that wastes energy |
| 2. Photorespiration | B. An enzyme that fixes CO2 in mesophyll cells of C4 plants |
| 3. Bundle Sheath Cells | C. Cells surrounding the vascular bundles in C4 plants where the Calvin cycle occurs |
| 4. Temporal Separation | D. The separation of initial CO2 fixation and the Calvin cycle by time, as seen in CAM plants |
| 5. Spatial Separation | E. The separation of initial CO2 fixation and the Calvin cycle by location, as seen in C4 plants |
C4 plants use _________ (1) separation to concentrate CO2 in _________ (2) cells, reducing _________ (3). CAM plants, on the other hand, use _________ (4) separation by opening their _________ (5) at night.
Explain how the adaptations of CAM plants make them particularly well-suited for desert environments, and discuss one potential limitation of their photosynthetic strategy.
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