In \( C_4 \) plants, the \( C_3 \) cycle (Calvin cycle) occurs specifically in the bundle sheath cells. These cells are adapted to maintain high concentrations of \( CO_2 \) due to the spatial separation of carbon fixation (which happens in mesophyll cells) and the Calvin cycle. The \( C_4 \) pathway initially fixes carbon in mesophyll cells as oxaloacetate (a 4-carbon compound), which is then transported to bundle sheath cells where \( CO_2 \) is released for use in the \( C_3 \) cycle.
Thus, the correct answer is (B) Bundle sheath cells, as they are the site of the \( C_3 \) cycle in \( C_4 \) plants.
In C₄ plants, photosynthesis is spatially separated between two cell types: mesophyll cells and bundle sheath cells. The initial fixation of CO₂ into a four-carbon compound occurs in mesophyll cells. This four-carbon compound is then transported to bundle sheath cells, where it is decarboxylated to release CO₂ for the Calvin cycle (C₃ cycle). Rubisco, the enzyme responsible for CO₂ fixation in the Calvin cycle, is localized exclusively in the bundle sheath cells, ensuring efficient carbon fixation under high light and temperature conditions.
Thus, the correct answer is (B) Bundle sheath cells.
Photosynthesis in higher plants involves the following processes:
This process occurs in the absence of light in the stroma of the chloroplasts. The following cycles are involved in the process: