In: Biology
A plant cell develops a mutation in its Rubisco gene that results in no production of the enzyme.
What would be the effect on the light reactions, on photosynthesis and on the organism as a whole?
Photosynthesis process of formation of sugar in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll molecules by fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. It is divided into two stages.
The first stage is light reaction which occurs in thylakoid membrane. Sunlight is trapped in this process and there is the formation of ATP and NADPH.
In the second stage, is called as Calvin cycle or dark reaction. ATP and NADPH produced in light reaction are used for the fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide into triose phosphate with the help of enzyme rubisco. It occurs in stroma of chloroplast.
The rubisco enzyme is mutated, then there will be no effect on the light reactions, but the fixation of atmospheric carbon dioxide into glucose will not take place. The plant will become deprived of glucose molecules and will not have any energy source for the production of ATP by cellular respiration by mitochondria.
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