C3 Plant

This is a photo of a lemon. A lemon is an example of a C3 plant. A C3 plant is a plant that specifically has a way to remove carbon from the atmosphere's carbon dioxide and turn it into organic molecules during photosynthesis. The C3 pathway received its name because of the first molecule produced in the process, 3-phosphoglyceric acid. On Earth, 85% of plants use the C3 pathway to fix carbon by using the Calvin Cycle. Plants with the C3 pathway use the Calvin Cycle as its initial steps of development. The C3 pathway uses a one step process where the enzyme, RuBisCO creates an oxidation reaction an as a result, some energy used in photosynthesis is lost known as photorespiration. This results in a 25% reduction in the amount of carbon fixed and released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This pathway is used in all environments and some common C3 plants include spinach, peanuts, barely, most trees, and grasses. The lemon is also a C3 plant because it utilizes the C3 pathway as its main mechanism in converting carbon dioxide into an organic compound. 
                                                                                       
                                                                                          
Editors. “C3, C4 And CAM Plants: Differences and Comparison.”Biology Dictionary, Biology Dictionary, 8 Sept.         
        2017, biologydictionary.net/c3-c4-cam-plants/.