In addition to fixing CO2 during photosynthesis, rubisco can react with O2. This reaction, which leads to a process called photorespiration, lowers the overall rate of CO2 fixation in some plants. After examining this problem, we’ll look at some biochemical pathways and features of plant anatomy that compensate for the limitations of rubisco.
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C4 plants have evolved to avoid photorespiration under hot, dry conditions, whereas C3 plants have not.
CAM plants differ from C4 plants by separating carbon fixation from the Calvin cycle according to different times of the day.