Given below are two statements: Statement I : The primary CO2 acceptor in C4 plants is phosphoenolpyruvate and is found in the mesophyll cells. Statement II : Mesophyll cells of C4 plants lack RuBisCo enzyme. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer: (A) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct. Statement I is correct: the primary CO2 acceptor in C4 plants is phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), a 3-carbon molecule present in the mesophyll cells.
- A.Both Statement I and Statement II are correct✓
- B.Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
- C.Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
- D.Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
Correct Answer
(A) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
Solution & Explanation
Statement I is correct: the primary CO2 acceptor in C4 plants is phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), a 3-carbon molecule present in the mesophyll cells. Statement II is also correct: NCERT explicitly states the mesophyll cells lack RuBisCO (it is confined to the bundle sheath cells). Therefore both statements are correct. NCERT: Class 11 Ch 11, p.146 [146:006-009]: "The primary CO2 acceptor is a 3-carbon molecule phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP) and is present in the mesophyll cells. The enzyme responsible for this fixation is PEP carboxylase or PEPcase. It is important to register that the mesophyll cells lack RuBisCO enzyme."