First CO2 enters leaves through the stoma via diffusion. An enzyme, known as Rubisco, will fix the CO2 to form a 3 carbon compound (Khan academy [accessed 2017]). This 3 carbon compound will eventually be converted to sugar and become maple syrup (Perkins and van den Berg 2009). Plants that follow this metabolic pathway are known as C3 plants (Khan academy [accessed 2017]). It is important to note that Rubisco prefers to fix carbon 12 over carbon 13; therefore 13CO2 is more likely to diffuse out of the leaf through the stoma before the Rubisco is able to fix it (Farquhar et al. 1989). Thus maple syrup has less carbon 13 because the Rubisco enzyme is able to be more
First CO2 enters leaves through the stoma via diffusion. An enzyme, known as Rubisco, will fix the CO2 to form a 3 carbon compound (Khan academy [accessed 2017]). This 3 carbon compound will eventually be converted to sugar and become maple syrup (Perkins and van den Berg 2009). Plants that follow this metabolic pathway are known as C3 plants (Khan academy [accessed 2017]). It is important to note that Rubisco prefers to fix carbon 12 over carbon 13; therefore 13CO2 is more likely to diffuse out of the leaf through the stoma before the Rubisco is able to fix it (Farquhar et al. 1989). Thus maple syrup has less carbon 13 because the Rubisco enzyme is able to be more