Glossary

Send

C4 plants

Plants which are more efficient at fixing carbon dioxide than C3 plants and which are adapted to warmer regions with more sunlight (tropical and subtropical climates).

They are called C4 plants because the primary product of photosynthesis is a carbon body with four carbon(C) atoms.

Photosynthesis is a light-dependent reaction which uses energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water to sugar.

Carbon dioxide fixation is catalysed by an enzyme: Rubisco in C3 plants and PEP carboxylase in C4 plants. PEP carboxylase is more efficient than RuBisCo. C4 plants can produce more biomass in a shorter time at higher temperatures and greater light intensity and are therefore adapted to hot, sunny climates.

C4 plants include mainly grasses, and also crops such as amaranth, sorghum, maize and sugar cane.