C4 Carbon Fixation

C₄ Carbon Fixation is a method some plants use to avoid the problems associated with rubisco and photorespiration. C₄ plants carry out the light reactions of photosynthesis in the mesophyll like other plants, but they carry out the light-independent reactions in the bundle sheath cells. The enzyme in the bundle sheath cells, PEP carboxylase, has a higher affinity for grabbing carbon dioxide than rubisco. This gives C₄ plants a better chance of survival in tightly packed areas where carbon dioxide may be limited.

Image by Chernobyl Frog Dissections