High School

During photorespiration, why does Rubisco attach RuBP to oxygen instead of carbon dioxide?

Answer :

Final answer:

RuBisCO catalyzes the photorespiration process, binding O₂ to RuBP instead of CO₂ during hot, dry conditions when stomata are closed and the concentration of O₂ in the leaf increases relative to CO₂.

Explanation:

During photorespiration, the enzyme RuBisCO attaches ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) to oxygen instead of carbon dioxide due to the environmental conditions that lead to an increase in the concentration of O₂ relative to CO₂ within the leaf.

When plants experience hot, dry conditions, they close their stomata to conserve water, which limits CO₂ from entering and O₂ from exiting the leaves.

Consequently, RuBisCO, which ordinarily catalyzes the carbon fixation reaction by attaching CO₂ to RuBP in the Calvin Cycle, instead binds to O₂ because of its increased availability, thus leading to a less efficient pathway that results in the formation of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA) and phosphoglycolate.

Learn more about Photorespiration here:

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