What is a C3 plant?

Learn more about using, modifying, and sharing InTeGrate teaching materials. The majority of plants and crop plants are C3 plants, referring to the fact that the first carbon compound produced during photosynthesis contains three carbon atoms.

What are the advantages of c4 over C3 plants?

This gives C 4 plants three advantages over C 3 plants. First, it improves carbon gain, with photosynthetic rates and growth rates that are often higher than those of C 3 plants, particularly at the higher temperatures which favor photorespiration (see Osmond et al., 1980 ).

What determines carboxylation efficiency in C3 plants at low intercellular CO2?

In C 3 plants at low intercellular CO 2 (low pi ), the response of the assimilation rate to CO 2 ( Fig. 2.30) is determined by the kinetic properties of Rubisco ( Farquhar et al., 1980 ). This initial slope is often known as the carboxylation efficiency.