CO2 Concentrating Mechanism.

To inhibit the photorespiration or oxygenation of rubisco different plants

have different mechanism to concentrate CO2 for the normal Calvin cycle or C3
cycle to proceed.
There are three mechanisms for concentrating CO2. These are
a. CO2 Pumps at the plasma Membrane.
b. C4 photosynthesis
c. CAM pathway
CO2 Pumps at The Plasma Membrane.
This type of CO2 concentrating mechanism is found in the aquatic plants, i.e.
Algae and cyanobacteria. As there is low concentration of CO 2 in Marine and
freshwater environment. Marine and freshwater organisms have CO 2 and HCO-3
pumps at their plasma membrane. Through these membranes pumps they actively
transport the inorganic carbon into their cells where the enzyme carbonic
anhydrase converts the inorganic carbon into CO 2. This carbon dioxide then enters
the Calvin Cycle for fixation. The active transport of inorganic carbon is done by
using ATP molecule derived from the light reaction of photosynthesis.
The consequence of this carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism is the
inhibition of the rubisco oxygenation and thus the inhibition of photorespiration.
But additional ATP is used to overcome this deficiency.

C4 Photosynthesis.
C4 Leaf Anatomy.
It is also called as C4 Carbon Cycle or another method of CO2
concentrating mechanism. C4 photosynthesis is found in plants that grow in
hot environment. Plants having C4 carbon cycle or photosynthesis are called
as C4 Plants. The leaf anatomy of C 4 and C3 plants are different. In C3 plants
only the mesophyll cells contain the chloroplast while in C 4 plants there are
two chlorophyll containing cells i.e. Mesophyll cells and Bundle Sheath cells.
No mesophyll cell of a C4 plant is more than two or three cells away from the
nearest bundle sheath cell. There is extensive network of plasmodesmata
connects the two cells, providing a pathway for the flow of metabolites
between the cell types.