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The pineapple is an example of a CAM plant.. Crassulacean acid metabolism, also known as CAM photosynthesis, is a carbon fixation pathway that evolved in some plants as an adaptation to arid conditions [1] that allows a plant to photosynthesize during the day, but only exchange gases at night.
CAM plants, such as cacti and succulent plants, also use the enzyme PEP carboxylase to capture carbon dioxide, but only at night. Crassulacean acid metabolism allows plants to conduct most of their gas exchange in the cooler night-time air, sequestering carbon in 4-carbon sugars which can be released to the photosynthesizing cells during the day.
The earliest recorded observation of this behavior in plants dates back to 324 BC when Androsthenes of Thasos, a companion to Alexander the Great, noted the opening and closing of tamarind tree leaves from day to night. [15] Carl Linnaeus (1729) proposed that this was the plants sleeping, but this idea has been widely contested.
CAM-cycling is a less water-efficient system whereby stomata open in the day, just as in plants using the C 3 mechanism. At night, or when the plant is short of water, the stomata close and the CAM mechanism is used to store CO 2 produced by respiration for use later in photosynthesis.
This soft-to-the-touch plant flourishes within the hardiness zones of 4 to 9, demonstrating resilience to a wide range of temperatures. Shop Now Nahhan - Getty Images
Rates of leaf photosynthesis were shown to increase by 30–50% in C3 plants, and 10–25% in C4 under doubled CO 2 levels. [40] The existence of a feedback mechanism results a phenotypic plasticity in response to [CO 2] atm that may have been an adaptive trait in the evolution of plant respiration and function. [30] [35]
The worst time of day to water outdoor plants is in the middle of the afternoon during hot and sunny weather. "During this time, the heat and sun cause water to evaporate quickly, reducing the ...
At night, transpiration usually does not occur, because most plants have their stomata closed. When there is a high soil moisture level, water will enter plant roots, because the water potential of the roots is lower than in the soil solution. The water will accumulate in the plant, creating a slight root pressure.