CAM plants at night produce

Key Points

• Crassulacean Acid Metabolism or CAM is a pathway for carbon fixation that is found in some plants.
• It is so-called because it was first found in the Crassulaceae family plants.
• It is a special adaptation for conserving water in xeric plants (that are found in dry conditions).
• In this process, the stomata open only at night and remain closed during the day.
• At night, the CO₂ is converted into malic acid which is stored in the vacuole.
• During daytime as the atmospheric CO₂ is absent, the malic acid is transported out of the vacuole and converted to pyruvate and CO₂. This CO₂ then takes part in the Calvin-Benson cycle in the chloroplast.