Question

Which statement is not correct about photosynthesis in Ficus religiosa?
A. It releases oxygen during day
B. It releases oxygen during night
C. It releases carbon dioxide during night
D. It releases carbon dioxide and oxygen during day

Answer 1

Hint: In the CAM pathway of photosynthesis, the carbon dioxide is fixed in the form of malate and oxygen is released to the surroundings in the night time.

Complete answer: During day time, plants uptake carbon dioxide $(CO_{2})$ and releases oxygen $(O_{2})$ during the course of their photosynthetic process while at night, plants respire by taking in $O_{2}$ and releasing $CO_{2}$.
Plants undergo carbon fixation via three photosynthetic pathways, say, $C_{3}$ pathway (also known as Calvin cycle), $C_{4}$ pathway (also known as Hatch-Slack pathway) and CAM pathway (also known as Crassulacean Acid Metabolism). $C_{3}$ and $C_4$ are the common pathways adopted by land plants for carbon fixation with the $C_{3}$ pathway being most common.
CAM pathway is seen in desert plants. In this pathway, stomata remain closed during the day time and open at night to fix carbon dioxide in the form of malic acid thereby releasing oxygen to the surroundings. In the day time, the malic acid produced during night is broken down and the $(CO_{2})$ is released which can undergo a calvin cycle to form sugars. These plants have adopted this pathway as a means to conserve water which is lost in day time due to the presence of sunlight.
Peepal trees can also uptake carbon dioxide during night. In the native habitat, peepal tree is a hemi-epiphyte. Its seeds germinate and grow as an epiphyte on other trees, thereby killing the host trees and establishing themselves in the soil. So, when as an epiphyte, these plants produce carbohydrates through CAM pathways and after their establishment in soil, they start operating photosynthesis through the $C_{3}$ pathway. So, Ficus religiosa (Peepal tree) also has the ability to release some amount of oxygen during the night time.
So, the correct answer is option “D” that is photosynthesis in Ficus religiosa do not release both carbon dioxide and oxygen during day time.

Note:
Ficus religiosa is commonly known as peepal tree. It belongs to the family Moraceae. Rate of photosynthesis is higher in them. It can also be used for treatment of diabetes, treat constipation and asthma.