Which of the following is a key distinguishing feature between CAM plants and C4 plants in terms of their carbon fixation strategy?

3 views 1 helpful Updated Jul 29, 2026
Appears in NEET UG
Solution ✔ Verified
  • ACAM plants perform initial CO2 fixation at night, while C4 plants perform it during the day.
  • BCAM plants use PEP carboxylase, while C4 plants use RuBisCO for initial CO2 fixation.
  • CCAM plants lack bundle sheath cells, unlike C4 plants.
  • DCAM plants have spatial separation of carbon fixation, while C4 plants have temporal separation.
Explanation

Both CAM and C4 plants utilize PEP carboxylase for initial CO2 fixation. However, CAM plants fix CO2 at night when stomata are open to minimize water loss, storing it as malic acid, and then release CO2 for the Calvin cycle during the day. C4 plants, in contrast, fix CO2 in mesophyll cells and then shuttle it to bundle sheath cells for the Calvin cycle, all occurring during the day. This difference in timing of initial CO2 fixation is a key distinguishing feature (temporal separation in CAM vs. spatial in C4).

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