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The upcoming discussion will update you about the difference between C3 Plants and C4 Plants.
Difference # C3 Plants:
1. Examples of these plants are wheat, oats, bar¬ley, rice cotton, beans, spinach, sunflower, Chlorella etc..
2. Carbon pathway in photosynthesis is C3 pathway i.e. Calvin cycle only.
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3. First stable product of above carbon pathway is 3-C compound phosphoglyceric acid (PGA).
4. The leaves have diffused mesophyll and only one type of chloroplasts.
5. Optimum temp, for photosynthesis is low to high.
6. Photorespiration occurs.
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7. Photosynthetically less efficient.
8. Carbon dioxide compensation point is high, about 50 ppm.
9. Rate of C02 evolution in light is higher.
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10. Carbonic anhydrase activity is higher.
11. Rate of translocation of end products of photosynthesis is low.
12. Optimum temperature for growth is low to high.
Difference # C4 Plants:
1.Example of these plants are sugarcane, maize, sorghum, Atriplex, Amaranthus etc..
2.Carbon pathway in photosynthesis is C4—di- carboxylic acid pathway (Hatch-Slack path¬way).
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3.First stable product of above carbon pathway is 4—C compound Oxaloacetic acid (OAA).
4.The leaves have ‘cane type’ of anatomy (Krantz anatomy) with compact mesophyll around the bundle sheath of vascular bundles and dimorphic chloroplasts. Those of bundle sheath are large and lack grana, while those of mesophyll are smaller and contain grana.
5.Optimum temperature for photosynthesis is high.
6.No photorespiration (or very little photorespiration).
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7.Photosynthetically more efficient.
8.Carbon dioxide compensation point is low, 2 to 5 or even 0 ppm.
9.Rate of C02 evolution in light is apparently none.
10.Carbonic anhydrase activity is low.
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11.Rate of translocation of end products of photosynthesis is high.
12.Optimum temperature for growth is high.
