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Photorespiration is a light-dependent process in some plants that releases carbon dioxide and can inhibit photosynthesis. It occurs when the enzyme RuBisCO, which normally fixes carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, instead reacts with oxygen. This process is more likely to happen under conditions of high light intensity, hot weather, and limited water.1234

In C3 plants, photorespiration competes with the Calvin-Benson cycle, reducing the efficiency of sugar production. This wasteful process involves chloroplasts, peroxisomes, and mitochondria. While it can reduce photosynthetic efficiency, it may also play a role in recycling compounds within the photosynthetic pathway.23

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