A plant in your garden avoids photorespiratory losses, has improved water use efficiency, shows high rates of photosynthesis at high temperatures and has improved efficiency of nitrogen utilisation. In which of the following physiological groups would you assign this plant?
- CAM
- Nitrogen fixer
- C3
- C4
Answer
(4) C4
Solution
As per NCERT, C4 plants concentrate CO2 at the RuBisCO site in bundle sheath cells.
⇒ Photorespiration does not occur, so there are no photorespiratory losses.
⇒ They show high productivity, tolerate high temperatures (higher temperature optimum) and use water and nitrogen (less RuBisCO needed) more efficiently.
∴ The plant is a C4 plant.
Answer: (4)