Beechdrops is a parasitic plant that cannot perform photosynthesis but relies on its host the Beech tree. However, Beechdrops still retains many if not all of the genes for photosynthesis. Snapdragons and gladiolas are common garden flowers that rely on their ability to perform photosynthesis. If you were to compare the gene sequences for these three plants for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) a protein necessary for photosynthesis what would you predict?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

RuBisCO is a highly conserved enzyme across photosynthetic organisms due to its critical role in photosynthesis. Gladiolas and snapdragons, both being photosynthetic, would likely have very similar sequences for RuBisCO, with differences possibly being silent mutations that do not affect the protein's function. Beechdrops, despite being parasitic and non-photosynthetic, retains genes for photosynthesis, including potentially for RuBisCO. However, due to its non-reliance on photosynthesis, mutations in these genes, including missense mutations that change the amino acid sequence, might be more tolerated, potentially affecting the RuBisCO gene sequence without the selective pressure to maintain its function.

Beechdrops Is a Parasitic Plant That Cannot Perform Photosynthesis but Relies