Bundle sheath

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[edit] Overview

Bundle-sheath cells are contained in certain C₄ plants. These plants use C4 carbon fixation to carry out photosynthesis when normal conditions for C₃ plants aren't present (e.g. normal water levels, CO₂ levels, heat, light).
Bundle-sheath cells are photosynthetic cells arranged into tightly packed sheaths around the veins of a leaf. They form a protective covering these leaf veins, and consist of one or more cell layers, usually parenchyma. Between the bundle sheath and the leaf surface are the more loosely arranged mesophyll cells. The Calvin cycle is confined to the chloroplasts of these bundle sheath cells.

[edit] References

Campbell, N. A. & Reece, J. B. (2005). Photosynthesis. Biology (7th ed.). San Fransisco: Benjamin Cummings.