What is Kranz Anatomy?
In this pathway, atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) is initially fixed into a four-carbon molecule (malic acid or malate), hence the name C4. Those plants typically exhibit a distinct leaf anatomy called Kranz anatomy, which involves two types of photosynthetic cells with separate morphological and functional characteristics. These are the bundle sheath cells surrounding the vascular centers and the mesophyll cells enveloping the bundle sheath cells beneath the leaf epidermis.
This distinctive wreath-like arrangement serves as a structural framework for the compartmentalization and functional segregation of the two sets of biochemical reactions necessary for this specialized CO2-assimilation pathway. Notably, the bundle-sheath cells contain a higher number of chloroplasts compared to the mesophyll cells.
Kranz Anatomy – An Overview
Kranz Anatomy is a distinctive arrangement found in C4 plants, characterized by mesophyll cells forming a ring around the bundle-sheath cells. Kranz Anatomy is found in angiosperms like sugarcane and grasses which undergo C4 photosynthesis. Plants growing in warm tropical or arid environments have developed this efficient photosynthetic pathway. Let us discuss Kranz’s anatomy in detail.
Table of Content
- What is Kranz Anatomy?
- Kranz Anatomy in C4 plants
- Kranz Anatomy Diagram
- Structure of C4 Plants
- Function of Kranz Anatomy
- Advantages of Kranz Anatomy
- Development of Kranz Anatomy
- Characteristic features of Kranz Anatomy
- What is the Difference Between C3 and C4 plants?
- Difference between Mesophyll Cells and Bundle Sheath Cells