Question

Are legumes C3 or C4?

Answer 1

C3 Cycle

1. C3 cycle or Calvin cycle is a light-independent reaction that occurs in plants to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into glucose.
2. It is also called a dark reaction and the end product of the cycle is a 3-carbon compound.
3. Soyabean, rice, potatoes, etc are examples of plants undergoing the C3 cycle.

C4 cycle

1. The C4 cycle is a light-dependent reaction that converts atmospheric CO₂ into glucose in plants.
2. It is also called as Hatch-Slack pathway and the end product of the cycle is a 4-carbon compound.
3. Examples of C4 plants include sugarcane, maize, corn, etc.

Leguminous plants

1. Legumes are plants that belong to the family Fabaceae.
2. The seed of these plants is consumed as pulses.
3. Legume plants include beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, etc.
4. Leguminous plants undergo both C3 as well as C4 cycles during carbon fixation.
5. They are classified in two ways- cool-seasons C3 plants and warm-season C4 plants.