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CO2

Assimilation

rate of plants

in

contrasting

environments
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Contents
Sr. No Topic Pg No.

1 Carbon Assimilation 3

i. C3 or Calvin Malvin Cycle 3

(Carbon Fixation, Reduction & regeneration)
Significance
ii. C4 or Hatch & Slack Cycle 6
(Different steps involved in C4 cycle + Significance)
iii. CAM pathway 8
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Carbon Assimilation

Carbon assimilation or biological carbon fixation is the process by which

inorganic carbon (particularly in the form of carbon dioxide)
is converted to organic compounds by living organisms. The compounds are then
used to store energy and as structure for other biomolecules. Carbon is primarily
fixed through photosynthesis.

Generally there are three modes of carbon assimilation:

1. C3 Cycle or Calvin Cycle or Dark Reaction

2. C4 Cycle or Hatch and Slack Cycle
3. CAM Pathway

1. Calvin Cycle or C3 Cycle

Calvin cycle is also called as dark reactions is a series of reaction that occur
stroma of the chloroplast, The plants that use calvin cycle for the fixation of carbon
dioxide are known as Calvin or C3 plants. For example: Cotton, rice, wheat, potato
etc.

It consists of three steps:

1. Carbon fixation
2. Reduction
3. Regneration

Calvin Cycle: Carbon Fixation

 Carbon dioxide enters to the stomataof chloroplast.

 Combines with ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), a five carbon sugar.
 Rubisco is an enzyme that catalyse this reaction.
 As a result, a 6 carbon compound is formed which immediately breaks into
two molecules of 3 carbon phosphorglyceric acid molecules (3 PGA).
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 Due to this fact, that a 3 carbon molecule is first stable molecule in this
reaction, this reaction is called as C3 cycle

Calvin Cycle: Reduction

 Six Molecules of 3 PGA are phosphorylated (production of ATP from the

ADP & inorganic phosphorus) by 6 molecules of ATP.
 As a result 6 molecules of 1.3-diphophoglyceric acid and 6 ADP’s are
produced
 These six molecules of 1,3-diphosphoglyceric acid are reduced by six
phosphoglyceraldehyde (G3P).

Calvin Cycle: Regeneration:

In this phase, ribulose 1,5-bisphophate (PuBP) is regenerated by using some of

3-phosphoglyceraldehydes.

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Significance of C3 Cycle:

 It is the main biochemical pathway during the dark reaction (phase-2) of

photosynthesis.
 It results in the synthesis of carbohydrate from CO2 (assimilation of carbon).
 It depends on the light reaction (phase-1) for the supply of the assimilatory
power (ATP and NADPH2) required for carbon assimilation.

C4 pathway or Hatch & Slack Cycle

There are following steps involved in C4 cycle

1st Step:

Conversion of (PEP) into oxaloacetate acid:

 In this step CO2 reacts with phosphoenol pyruvic acid to form oxaloacetate
acid.
 This reaction take place in presence of enzyme phosphoenol pyruvate
carboxylase.

2nd Step:

Conversion of OAA into Malate:

 Oxaloacetate acid is converted into malate.

 This reaction is catalyzed by malate dehydogenase.

3rd Step

Conversion of malate into pyruvic acid:

 Malate is transported into bundle sheat cell. In bundle sheat cell it is

converted into pyruvic acid by releasing CO2.
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4th Step:

Conversion of pyruvic acid into PEP:

 Pyruvic acid react with ATP and regenerate phosphoenol pyruvate.

 This reaction take place in the presence of pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase.
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Significance of C4 Cycle:

 In C4 plants, it increase the photosynthetic yield two to three time more than
C3 plants.
 In C4 plants, it performs a high rate of photosynthesis even when the
stomata are nearly closed.
 It increases the adaptability of C4 plants to high temperature and light
intensities.
 They can very well grow in saline soils because of presence of C4 organic
acids.

C4 plants:

 Maize
 Sugercane
 Millet
 Sorghum
 Grass species

CAM (Crassulacean acid Metabolism) Pathway

Crassulacean acid Metabolism, also known as CAM photosynthesis, is a

carbon fixation pathway that evolved in some plants as an adaptation to arid
conditions (drought).

 The stomata in the leaves closed during the day to reduce evapotranspiration
and produce sugar, but open at night to collect carbon dioxide (CO2).
 The CO2 is stored as the four-carbon acid malate, and then react with
RuBisco, produce sugar trough photosynthesis at day.

Example: Cactus, Pine Apple

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Night Process:

 When stomata open, the CO2 absorb into the cell,

 The PEP carboxylase, Carbon dioxide in fixing-enzyme react with CO 2 to
produce malate, the organic acid will stored in vacuole of the cell in low
concentration.
 The malate will do trough Calvin Cycle during day because the Calvin cycle
cannot operate during the night while it still need ATP and NADPH.

Day Process:

 During day process, its prevent the loss of water vapour in the plant, the
stomata is closed.
 Then, the malate is release from the vacuole because high concentration
inside and break down into CO2. The CO2 react with the RuBP (ribulose
bisphosphate) and went through the standard Calvin cycle. Then the sugar
were produced.

Significance of CAM:

 It prevent the evaportranspiration, water loss during transpiration.

 It increases water efficiency & time of produce sugar in same time.
 It’s Adaption of the survival in arid envorinment.
 It retain the water concentration due closing stomata in hot condition.
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The End