Photosynthetic CO2-Fixation Pathways

The view has long been held that the Calvin cycle operates ubiquitously in higher plants, algae, and probably photoautotrophic bacteria, but there is now evidence for alternative pathways in some plants and bacteria. In the present article, particular emphasis will be placed upon the alternative pro­ cess in higher plants, but some aspects of current interest concerning the op­ eration of the Calvin cycle will also be considered. Topics relating to photo­ synthetic CO2-fixation that are treated in detail in other chapters of this volume have been either excluded or dealt with only briefly. There have been several recent reviews, books, and symposia dealing with aspects of photosynthetic CO2-fixation (8, SO, 55, 63, 100, 125, 128).