RuBisCO
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Biology
| Stands for | Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
RuBisCO stands for Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, a biology abbreviation.
Enzyme that captures carbon dioxide from the air in the first step of the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis, attaching it to a five-carbon sugar. It is often called the most abundant protein on Earth because plants make it in huge amounts to compensate for its slowness.
Example: Engineering a faster RuBisCO could raise crop yields by improving photosynthesis.
Usage notes
RuBisCO fixes only a few CO2 molecules per second and sometimes grabs oxygen instead, triggering the wasteful process of photorespiration. C4 and CAM plants evolved ways to concentrate carbon dioxide around the enzyme. Also written Rubisco.
Related abbreviations
More biology abbreviations
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- RNA – Ribonucleic acid
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- rRNA – Ribosomal RNA
- RT-PCR – Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction
- SDS-PAGE – Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis
- sp. – Species
- spp. – Species (plural)
- subsp. – Subspecies
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