What distinguishes C3 plants from other photosynthetic plants?

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C3 plants are characterized by their photosynthetic pathway, which involves the fixation of carbon dioxide into a three-carbon compound, 3-phosphoglycerate, during the Calvin cycle. Unlike C4 and CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) plants, C3 plants do not have specialized adaptations to minimize photorespiration; this is a more significant issue in conditions of high temperature and light intensity.

In C3 plants, carbon fixation occurs in the mesophyll cells without the use of PEP carboxylase, which is specific to C4 and CAM plants that help them efficiently assimilate carbon in hot and dry environments. Furthermore, C3 plants do not produce a four-carbon molecule during the initial stages of photosynthesis, distinguishing them from C4 plants that synthesize an intermediary four-carbon compound.

Therefore, the defining feature of C3 plants lies in their straightforward approach to photosynthesis, utilizing standard biochemical pathways without specialized mechanisms to combat potential losses from photorespiration.

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