A C₃ plant is exposed to high temperature and high light intensity, leading to the closure of its stomata. Under these conditions, what will RuBisCO primarily bind to, and what are the immediate products formed in the reaction?

Step-by-step solution

Under high temperature and high light intensity, the stomata of C₃ plants close to prevent water loss. This stops the entry of atmospheric CO ₂ , while O ₂ continues to accumulate inside the leaf due to the ongoing photolysis of water in the light reactions. Because the binding of CO ₂ and O ₂ to the active site of RuBisCO is competitive, the high O ₂ to CO ₂ ratio forces the enzyme to function primarily as an oxygenase. In this photorespiratory pathway, RuBisCO binds O ₂ to RuBP (a 5-carbon compound), splitting it