C 3 plants already have the necessary enzymes required to complete the processes of C 4 photosynthesis the main hindrance is the location where the photosynthesis takes place. C 4 plants evolved from ancestral C 3 plants due to environmental conditions, such as decreased CO 2 availability. The introduction of the C 4 photosynthetic processes into C 3 plants would help to minimize the occurrence of photorespiration. With C 3 photosynthesis being the least effective method of carbon fixation, genetically engineering effective photorespiration evasion mechanisms is a primary goal. During the night, CAM plants open their stomata to accumulate CO 2, create oxaloacetate, and malate through the same mechanism as C 4 plants, but during the day, their stomata are closed, and the CO 2 proceeds to enter the Calvin cycle. Instead of photosynthesis occurring in two separate cells, like C 4 plants, CAM plants complete photosynthesis in two separate parts of the day. Approximately 10% of the plant population are CAM plants. By carbon fixation and the Calvin cycle occurring in two separate cells, RuBisCo is surrounded by a higher concentration of CO 2, greatly reducing the chance of photorespiration. Oxaloacetate is then reduced into malate and transported to the bundle sheath cell, where decarboxylation occurs, allowing the CO 2 molecule to enter the Calvin cycle. During C 4 photosynthesis, CO 2 reacts with the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), creating oxaloacetate. In C 4 plants, photosynthesis occurs in two different types of cells, mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells. C 4 plants are the least prevalent, accounting for approximately 5% of the plant population. Nevertheless, irrespective of the verbal commitment, China leads the world in electricity production through renewable energy resources and also in the investment in renewable energy innovation and capacity building according to the UN Environmental Program Report.Ĭ 4 and CAM plants differ from C 3 in their internal mechanisms to combat the occurrence of photorespiration. China (the largest carbon emitter) has not made any such commitments, since they are the manufacturing hub and are wary of disrupting the supply chain worldwide. India (the third-largest carbon emitter) has committed to generating 50% of its energy needs by renewable means by 2030 and reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2070. In the Paris agreement in February 2021, 186 countries that are responsible for 90% of global emissions pledged carbon emission reduction through 2025 or 2030. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report from 2018 forewarns us that catastrophe in the form of floods, poverty, drought, etc., will be unleashed by a mere change in global temperature of a degree. Atmospheric CO 2 is the major cause for global warming through the greenhouse effect hence, carbon dioxide emissions must be strictly regulated to minimize the greenhouse effect. In fossil fuels, it exists as carbon rings or chains and in biomolecules such as nucleic acids, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids. Elemental carbon exists in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO 2) and is dissolved in water, rocks, and soils as carbonic acid (H 2CO 3), bicarbonates, and carbonates. This review also discusses the recent breakthroughs in the field of nanosciences that could accelerate chemical methods of carbon dioxide fixation.Ĭarbon is the most important element of organic matter, forming the major part of its dry weight. It explains what necessitates the exploration of synthetic pathways and discusses strategies and matrices to consider while evaluating various pathways. This review explores the natural carbon dioxide fixation pathways in plants and various microorganisms and discusses their limitations and alternative strategies. Hence, we must work on strategies to improve carbon dioxide fixation as we are making advancements in clean energy technology. The dependency on fossil fuels around the globe is such that it would be hard to move away from it any time soon. This consumption is the major source of carbon dioxide emission causing greenhouse effects leading to global warming. With that, there is an increasing demand for the consumption of fossil fuels for various anthropogenic activities. The present human population is more than three times what it was in 1950.
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