Uploaded July 2021 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Plants, like people, make investments. For example, in hot places, air conditioning is worth the investment, but in cool places, it is not. Plants that live in cool, humid, or shady habitats have a one-phase type of photosynthesis, which is cheap but it does not work on hot dry days. Plants that live in hot, dry habitats have a two-phase type of photosynthesis, which is expensive but keeps the plants from dying during heat and drought. Just as humans in hot environments often invest in air conditioning, plants that live in hot environments often invest in the expensive, two-phase kind of photosynthesis.
Plants, like people, make investments. For example, in hot places, air conditioning is worth the investment, but in cool places, it is not. Plants that live in cool, humid, or shady habitats have a one-phase type of photosynthesis, which is cheap but it does not work on hot dry days. Plants that live in hot, dry habitats have a two-phase type of photosynthesis, which is expensive but keeps the plants from dying during heat and drought. Just as humans in hot environments often invest in air conditioning, plants that live in hot environments often invest in the expensive, two-phase kind of photosynthesis.
