If an experimental setup with a C3 plant is provided with CO2 containing radioactively labeled carbon (14C), in which molecule would the 14C first appear after a very short period of photosynthesis?

3 views 2 helpful Updated Jul 29, 2026
Appears in NEET UG
Solution ✔ Verified
  • AGlucose
  • BRibulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP)
  • CPhosphoglyceric acid (PGA)
  • DGlyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P)
Explanation

In C3 plants, the first stable product of CO2 fixation is a 3-carbon compound, 3-phosphoglyceric acid (PGA). CO2 combines with RuBP to form an unstable 6-carbon intermediate which immediately splits into two molecules of PGA.

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