Explain Hatch and Slack pathway.
Solution:
The Hatch and Slack pathway, also known as the C4 pathway is seen in plants like maize, sugarcane;have a special type of mechanism avoid photorespiration. In these plants three or 2 types of photosynthetic cells namely mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cell are present. The bundle sheath cells are arranged in a wreath like manner, thus calling them as kranz anatomy .
The Hatch and Slack pathway, also known as the C4 pathway is seen in plants like maize, sugarcane;have a special type of mechanism avoid photorespiration. In these plants three or 2 types of photosynthetic cells namely mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cell are present. The bundle sheath cells are arranged in a wreath like manner, thus calling them as kranz anatomy .
C4 contain dimorphic chloroplasts, that is chloroplasts in bundle sheath cells are agranal. The presence of two types of cells allow the occurrence of light reactions and carbon reactions separately
In C4 plants, light reactions occur in the mesophyll cells, whereas CO2 assimilation occurs in the bundle sheath cells. This type of separation does not allow O2 released in mesophyll cells to escape in to the bundle sheath cells. This prevents the oxygenation of RuBP, which is present in the bundle sheath cells.
