By looking at which internal structure of a plant can you tell whether a plant is ? Explain.
The C₄ plants are different in having two types of photosynthetic cells i.e.bundle sheath cells and mesophyll cells. When viewed under a microscope the ring of bundle sheath cells gives the appearance of a wreath surrounding the vascular bundle. This particular arrangement of chloroplast bearing cells surrounding the vascular bundle is known as Kranz anatomy. This particular kranz anatomy of the C₄ plant makes them different from C₃ plants.In C₃ plants the mesophyll cells are differentiated into palisade and spongy parenchyma whereas in C₄ plants the mesophyll cells are not differentiated into palisade and spongy parenchyma.By looking above all internal structure one can easily tell whether a plant is C₃ or C₄ . In C₄ plants mesophyll cells are connected to the bundle sheath cells by a large number of plasmodesmata. Enzyme PEP carboxylase is present in the mesophyll cells whereas RUBISCO is located in the bundle sheath cells. In addition, mesophyll cells contain chloroplast with stacked thylakoid whereas in bundle sheath cells exhibit unstacked thylakoid.
