General

Biology 1 12
Earth Science – Grade 12
Quarter 2 – Module 9: CAM and C4 Photosynthesis
First Edition, 2020

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 General
Biology 1
12
Quarter 2
Self-Learning Module 9

CAM and C4 Photosynthesis

Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the General Biology 1 Self-Learning Module 9 on CAM and C4

Photosynthesis

This Self-Learning Module was collaboratively designed, developed and

reviewed by educators from the Schools Division Office of Pasig City headed by its
Officer-in-Charge Schools Division Superintendent, Ma. Evalou Concepcion A.
Agustin, in partnership with the City Government of Pasig through its mayor,
Honorable Victor Ma. Regis N. Sotto. The writers utilized the standards set by the K
to 12 Curriculum using the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) in
developing this instructional resource.

This learning material hopes to engage the learners in guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Further, this also aims to help learners
acquire the needed 21st century skills especially the 5 Cs, namely: Communication,
Collaboration, Creativity, Critical Thinking, and Character while taking into
consideration their needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the
body of the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this
module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Moreover, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
 For the Learner:

Welcome to the General Biology 1 Self-Learning Module 9 on CAM and C4

Photosynthesis

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful
opportunities for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You
will be enabled to process the contents of the learning material while being an active
learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

Expectations - This points to the set of knowledge and skills

that you will learn after completing the module.

Pretest - This measures your prior knowledge about the lesson

at hand.

Recap - This part of the module provides a review of concepts

and skills that you already know about a previous lesson.

Lesson - This section discusses the topic in the module.

Activities - This is a set of activities that you need to perform.

Wrap-Up - This section summarizes the concepts and

application of the lesson.

Valuing - This part integrates a desirable moral value in the

lesson.

Posttest – This measures how much you have learned from the
entire module.
 EXPECTATIONS

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Explain the C4 and CAM plants special adaptation in the process of
photosynthesis;
2. Compare and contrast C4 and CAM plants in terms of their photosynthetic
mechanisms.
3. Realize the importance of Calvin cycle to organisms in the ecosystems.

PRETEST

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer.

_________1. Which of the following molecules are transferred between Mesophyll cells
and bundle sheath cells during C4 photosynthesis?
I. Oxaloacetate
II. Phosphoenolpyruvate
III. Malate
IV. CO2
V. Pyruvate

A. III only B. IV only C. III and V D. II ,III and V

_________2. Which of the following statements expresses a correct idea about C4 and
CAM plants?
A. C3 and C4 plants physically separate light and dark reactions
B. C4 plants separate light and dark reactions physically while CAM
plants do not
C. CAM plants separate light and dark reactions physically while C4
plants do not
D. C4 plants carry out carbon fixation during the day and dark
reactions during the night
 _________3. Which of the following is TRUE regarding photorespiration?
A. Carbon is lost during photorespiration and is released as CO2
B. RuBisCo can bind O2but cannot utilize it as a substrate and the
enzymatic reaction is halted.
C. CO2 is used in place of O2 leading to the loss of carbon during the
Calvin cycle
D. RuBisCo uses RuBP and O2 to generate a 6-carbon molecule during
photorespiration.

_________4. What enzyme is involved in CO2 fixation of Calvin cycle ?

A. RuBisO
B. RuBisCo
C. PEP Carboxylase
D. Phosphoglycerokinase

_________5. How many ATP and NADPH is used for the regeneration of 6RuBp
molecules?
A. 12 ATP , 6 NADPH
B. 12 ATP only
C. 6 ATP , 6 NADPH
D. 6 ATP only

RECAP

In the previous module, we studied two the mechanisms of the Calvin Cycle.
Let us recall the past lesson by answering the activity below.

Activity 9.1. Fill in the boxes with significant events that took place in t

he Calvin cycle.
THE CALVIN CYCLE

Carbon Fixation Reduction Phase Carbohydrate Regeneration Phase

Formation

______________ ______________ ______________ ______________

______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
______________ ______________ ______________ ______________
______ ______ ______ ______

Have you ever wonder why flowers at home or shops are always submerged in
the water? Why grocery stores spray their vegetables with water? In this module, we
will answer those questions by studying another type of passive transport, osmosis.
 LESSON

C4 AND CAM PLANTS : Special Adaptation and Photosynthesis

Key points:

• Photorespiration is a wasteful pathway that occurs when the Calvin

cycle enzyme rubisco acts on oxygen rather than carbon dioxide.

• The majority of plants are C3 plants, which have no special features to

combat photorespiration.

• C4 plants minimize photorespiration by separating initial CO2 fixation

and the Calvin cycle in space, performing these steps in different cell
types.

• Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants minimize photorespiration

and save water by separating these steps in time, between night and
day.

C4 and CAM plants are plants that use certain special compounds to gather
carbon dioxide (CO2 ) during photosynthesis. Using these compounds allows these
plants to extract more CO 2 from a given amount of air, helping them prevent water
loss in dry climates. All photosynthetic plants need carbon to build sugars, and all
get their carbon from CO 2 in the air. CO 2 must first be bound, or "fixed," to another
molecule inside the plant cell in order to begin its transformation into sugar. In most
plants, carbon fixation occurs when CO 2 reacts with a five-carbon compound called
RuBP (ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate). The product splits immediately to form a pair of
three-carbon compounds, and therefore this pathway is called the C3 pathway.
Further reaction leads to the creation of a sugar (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate) and
the regeneration of RuBP. This series of reactions is known as the Calvin-Benson
cycle after the two scientists who elucidated it.
The enzyme that catalyzes the joining of RuBP and CO2 is known as RuBP
carboxylase, also called Rubisco. Rubisco is believed to be the most abundant protein
in the world. However, Rubisco is not very efficient at grabbing CO2 , and it has an
even worse problem. When the concentration of CO 2 in the air inside the leaf falls
too low, Rubisco starts grabbing oxygen instead. The ultimate result of this process,
called photorespiration, is that sugar is burned up instead of being created.
Photorespiration becomes a significant problem for plants during hot, dry days, when
they must keep their stomates (leaf pores) closed to prevent water loss.
Diverse groups of plants have evolved different systems for coping with the
problem of photorespiration. These plants, called C4 plants and CAM plants, initially
bind carbon dioxide using a much more efficient enzyme. This allows a more efficient
harvest of CO 2 , allowing the plant to trap sufficient CO 2 without opening its
stomates too often. Each then uses the CO 2 in the Calvin-Benson cycle.

C4 ("four-carbon")
plants initially attach CO 2 to
PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate)
to form the four-carbon
compound OAA
(oxaloacetate) using the
enzyme PEP carboxylase.
This takes place in the loosely
packed cells called mesophyll
cells. OAA is then pumped to
another set of cells, the
bundle sheath cells, which
surround the leaf vein. There,
it releases the CO 2 for use by
Rubisco. By concentrating
CO 2 in the bundle sheath
cells, C4 plants promote the
efficient operation of the
Calvin-Benson cycle and
minimize photorespiration.
C4 plants include corn, sugar Figure 9.1 C4 PLANT VS. CAM PLANT Photosynthetic Mechanism. Source: www.khanacademy.com
cane, and many other tropical grasses.

CAM ("crassulacean acid metabolism") plants also initially attach CO 2 to PEP

and form OAA. However, instead of fixing carbon during the day and pumping the
OAA to other cells, CAM plants fix carbon at night and store the OAA in large vacuoles
within the cell. This allows them to have their stomates open in the cool of the
evening, avoiding water loss, and to use the CO 2 for the Calvin-Benson cycle during
the day, when it can be driven by the sun's energy. CAM plants are more common
than C4 plants and include cacti and a wide variety of other succulent plants.
Table 1: Comparison of C4 and CAM Plants
 C4 Plants CAM Plants
Species Tropical grasses like corn, Succulents, pineapple,
sugarcane agave
Characteristics A type of plant that A type of plant that utilize
produce a 4-carbon CAM photosynthesis
compound, oxaloacetate
as the first stable product
of carbon fixation process
Plant type Mesophytic Xerophytic
NADPH and ATP 12 NADPH and 18 ATP 12 NADPH and 39 ATP are
are needed for the needed for the production
production of glucose of glucose
Cells Involved Mesophyll cells and Only in mesophyll cells
bundle sheath cells
Carbon Fixation Fix carbon in Cytoplasm, Fix carbon at night only,
- attach CO2 to PEP fix it to organic molecules
Enzyme Enzyme – PEP-ase Enzyme – PEP-ase
Energy More energy efficient Best water conservation
Water Content Loses least water Loses least water

ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY 9.2. Complete the chart below by comparing C4 pathway and CAM
pathway from the given points of comparison.
Plant Characteristics C4 Pathway CAM Pathway
Photorespiration Rate
Leaf Anatomy
Environment
Number of Steps in
Pathway
Molecule/s produced
Calvin Cycle
Stoma (closed / open)
ACTIVITY 9.3. Describe the significant events that took place in C4 photosynthesis
as represented by the diagram below:

_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________
_______

ACTIVITY 9.4. CAM or Crassulacean Acid Metabolism is a process being utilized

by succulents that are efficient at storing water due to the dry and arid
climates they live in. Describe the significant events that took place in CAM
photosynthesis as represented by the diagram below:

______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________
 WRAP-UP

ACTIVITY 9.5. Construct a Venn Diagram showing the key differences and
similarities between C4 plants and CAM plants.

C4 PLANTS CAM PLANTS

VALUING

Plant adaptation is varied among all organisms present on Earth’s fauna. Also,
we can’t deny the fact that as time goes by, the amount of carbon rises making it
more complicated for the rest of organisms to adapt and survive. In relation to their
specialized features, predict how C4 and CAM plants will each respond to a doubling
of the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere.

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
 POSTTEST

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer.

_________1. How is photosynthesis similar in C4 and CAM plants?
A. In both cases, only photosystem I is used
B. In both cases, rubisco is not used to fix carbon initially
C. Both types of plants make sugar without the Calvin cycle
D. Both types of plants make most of their sugar in the dark

_________2. Which process is most directly driven by light energy?

A. ATP Synthesis
B. carbon fixation in the stroma
C. reduction of NADP+ molecules
D. removal of electrons from chlorophyll molecules

_________3. Global changes concern farmers. In particular, their attempts to grow corn
in northern latitudes may suffer because:
A. C4 plants such as soybeans thrive in very dry climates
B. C4 plants such as corn are tropical plants and may do well in warm,
dry climates
C. C4 plants don't rely on sunlight
D. C4 plants store carbon dioxide at night

_________4. Which is most important in helping CAM plants overcome the problem of
photorespiration?
A. they reduce CO2 levels in their leaves
B. they capture CO2 at night as oxaloacetate
C. they close their stomates when O2 levels are high
D. they separate the light reactions from the dark reactions

_________5. Which of the following statements is a correct distinction between

autotrophs and heterotrophs?
A. Only heterotrophs require oxygen
B. Cellular respiration is unique to heterotrophs
C. Only heterotrophs require chemical compounds from the
environment
D. Autotrophs, but not heterotrophs , can nourish themselves
beginning with CC2 and other nutrients that are inorganic.
KEY TO CORRECTION
REFERENCES
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chloroplast-structure-function-examples

Introduction to Plants Lesson Accessed July 14, 2020.

https://www.bu.edu/gk12/xiaojuan/Lessons/chloroplast.html.

Hoefnagels, Marielle. General Biology. McGraw-Hill Education. Abiva Publishing House,Inc. 2016.

Learning, Lumen. “Anatomy and Physiology I.” Lumen. Accessed July 7, 2020.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/austincc-ap1/chapter/botany

Miller, Stephen A. Zoology. McGraw-Hill. New York. 2010.

Starr, Cecie. Evers, Christine. and Lisa. Starr. Biology: Today and Tomorrow Biology for Non Science
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Study.com. Accessed July 14, 2020. https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-

characteristics-of-chloroplast.html.

Posts, Related, and About The Author sana. “OBJECTIVE FOR Diffusion. Osmosis
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Biology. Accessed July 14, 2020. https://biologyboom.com/objective-for-diffusion-
osmosis-absorption-translocation-transpiration/.

https://www.britannica.com/science/chloroplast

Sciencing.com. Accessed July 14, 2020. https://sciencing.com/academy/practice/quiz-

worksheet-four stages of cellular respiration.html.

Sciencing.com. Accessed July 18, 2020. https://sciencing.com/academy/practice/quiz-

worksheet-importance of pigments in photosynthesis.html.