Differences between C3 and C4 pathway are:
In C3 pathway, only a single type of chloroplast is present, whereas in C4 pathway two distinct type of chloroplasts are present in the mesophyll and bundle sheath cells.
The primary CO2 acceptor in C3 pathway is ribulose bisphosphate, whereas in C4 pathway the primary CO2 acceptor is phosphoenolpyruvate.
In C3 pathway, phosphoglyceric acid, a 3C compound comes as the first product which shows stability, whereas in C4 pathway a 4C compound known as oxaloacetic acid is the first stable product.
Photorespiration occurs in C3 pathway, whereas it does not occur in C4 pathway.
In C3 pathway, 20°C to 25°C is the optimum temperature for photosynthesis, where as C4 pathway works in slightly hot environment that is between 25°C and 35°C.
Final Answer
Hence, the differences between C3 and C4 pathway are described above.
