Every culture that has adopted the cultivation of maizeβalso known as cornβhas been radically changed by it. βββ
ββ ββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββ βββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββββ βββββββ βββββββββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββββ βββββ ββββ βββ βββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββββββ ββββ βββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββ ββ ββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββ βββββββ βββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββββ βββββββββββββββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββ βββββ βββββ ββ ββββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββ ββ βββββ ββββββ ββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββ βββββββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββββββ βββββββ ββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ βββββββββββ ββββββ ββ βββ ββββββ βββ
ββββ βββββββ ββββββββ ββββ βββββββ β ββββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββ ββββ βββββββββ βββββββββββββββ βββββ ββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββββ ββββ βββββ βββββ βββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββ βββββ ββββ βββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββββββ βββββ βββββββββ βββ ββββββ ββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ βββ βββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ ββ βββ ββββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββ ββ ββββ ββ βββββ βββββββ ββββββ βββ
Assuming that all other relevant βββββββ ββββββββ βββ βββββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββ ββ β βββββββ ββ βββββ ββββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββ βββββββββββββββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββ ββββ βββββ βββ ββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββββ
Water is split ββββ βββ βββββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββββββββββββββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββββ ββββββ ββββββ
Splitting water into its constituent elements
An enzyme with βββββ ββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ ββββββββ
The advantage that C-4 plants have is their ability to keep oxygen from binding to rubisco. If a non-C-4 plant used some other enzyme that performs the same role as rubisco, but which oxygen is unable to bind to, then that plant would have the same advantage as a C-4 plant: oxygen canβt interfere with a key enzyme involved in photosynthesis.
The vascular structures ββ βββ ββββ ββββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββββ ββββββ βββββββ βββ βββ ββββββ ββββ
For this to give non-C-4 plants a similar advantage to what C-4 plants have (namely, the ability to keep oxygen from binding with rubisco), weβd need to know that rubisco is located somewhere on the other other side of those impermeable vascular structures, such that oxygen canβt reach it. But the author doesnβt say where rubisco is located in non-C-4 plants, so itβs unclear whether (C) would keep oxygen and rubisco apart. Thatβs enough to eliminate (C). And even if rubisco were located on the other side of the vascular structures, weβd now have the problem that carbon dioxide gas canβt reach rubiscoβbut
The specialized chlorophyll-containing ββββββββββ ββ βββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ
The advantage that C-4 plants have is their ability to keep oxygen from binding to rubisco. If a non-C-4 plant split water around the vascular structures of the leaf, as (D) says, then weβd have
An enzyme that ββββ βββ βββββββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ ββ βββββββ ββ βββ βββββ ββββ ββββββ
The role of rubisco is to