photorespiration

[ foh-toh-res-puh-rey-shuhn ]

noun

1. the oxidation of carbohydrates in many higher plants in which they get oxygen from light and then release carbon dioxide, somewhat different from photosynthesis.

photorespiration

/ ˌfəʊtəʊˌrɛspəˈreɪʃən /

noun

1. (in plants) a reaction that occurs during photosynthesis in which oxygen is assimilated and used to oxidize carbohydrates, with the release of carbon dioxide: differs from normal respiration in that there is no production of energy in the form of ATP

photorespiration

/ fō′tō-rĕs′pə-rā′shən /

1. The chemical combination of carbohydrates with oxygen in plants with the release of carbon dioxide. Photorespiration requires the presence of light, is catalyzed in the chloroplasts by the same enzymes that catalyze the combination of carbohydrates with carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, and occurs when oxygen concentrations in the cell are high. Photorespiration typically takes place during conditions of high light intensity, dryness, and heat (often resulting in the closure of stomata), when the amount of carbon dioxide entering the plant is reduced, and the amount of oxygen produced by photosynthesis accumulates. Photorespiration thus acts to produce carbon dioxide when it is unavailable and acts as a check on photosynthesis and on the productivity of the plant. Unlike cellular respiration, photorespiration does not produce any ATP or NADH, and so consumes chemical energy rather than produces it. Many angiosperms have a supplemental method of carbon-dioxide uptake that minimizes losses from photorespiration.

Example Sentences

Yet, under stressful conditions, trees release CO2 back to the atmosphere, a process called photorespiration.

From Science Daily

In the study, the researchers discovered that variation in the abundance of certain isotopes of a part of wood called methoxyl groups serves as a tracer of photorespiration in trees.

From Science Daily

The team studied levels of the methoxyl "flavor" of isotope in wood samples from about thirty specimens of trees from a variety of climates and conditions throughout the world to observe trends in photorespiration.

From Science Daily

Until now, photorespiration rates could only be measured in real time using living plants or well-preserved dead specimens that retained structural carbohydrates, which meant that it was nearly impossible to study the rate at which plants draw down carbon at scale or in the past, Lloyd explained.

From Science Daily

Now that the team has validated a way to observe photorespiration rate using wood, he said the method could offer researchers a tool for predicting the how well trees might "breathe" in future and how they fared in past climates.

From Science Daily