To prevent the wasteful process of photorespiration, C₄ plants like sugarcane utilize a specific 3-carbon molecule as the primary CO₂ acceptor in their mesophyll cells. Identify this molecule.

Step-by-step solution

In C₄ plants like sugarcane, the primary CO₂ acceptor is a 3-carbon molecule called phosphoenol pyruvate (PEP). This molecule is present in the mesophyll cells. The enzyme responsible for this initial CO₂ fixation is PEP carboxylase (PEPcase). The first stable product formed is a 4-carbon compound, oxaloacetic acid (OAA). Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) is a 5-carbon molecule that acts as the primary CO₂ acceptor in C₃ plants. Answer: Phosphoenol pyruvate