Question

When and why does photorespiration take place in plants ? How does this process result in a loss to the plant ?

Answer 1

Photorespiration : 

(i) It is a threat to plants although it occurs in angiosperms because it has some disadvantages. 

(ii) No energy rich compound is produced in this process. 

(iii) Half of the photosynthetically fixed CO₂ may be lost by photorespiration. 

(iv) Moreover it is a loss to the net productivity of green and C₃ plants. 

(v) To overcome the photorespiratory loses in anglosperms like sugarcane.they have developed an additional cycle called as C₄ pathway or Hatch Slack pathway. 

(vi) C₄ pathway requires 30 ATP molecules (more energy).