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Wheat is one of the three important cereal crops along with rice and maize that serves as a source of food and energy for most of the world population. Photosynthetically, wheat is categorized as a C3 plant and taxonomically grouped under the sub-family Pooideae (aka cool-season grasses) of Poaceae family. Although leaves of wheat were known to accomplish C3 photosynthesis, we have discovered and reported the evidences on the developing wheat grains accomplishing NAD-ME subtype C4 photosynthesis, with grains devoid of Kranz anatomy. In short, there are two cell layers viz., cross- and tube-cell layers that are a part of inner pericarp of the seed epicarp, accomplishing the C4 photosynthesis without Kranz anatomy. This anatomy is named in honor of Prof. JC Bose who documented the role of 4C compound in photosynthesis as early as 1924 – earliest known document till date – in Hydrilla especially during summer. In few months after this landmark publication, commentaries from other researchers were skeptical that are addressed and published further. Additionally, few more recent reports underscore the evidences that are supportive for C4 photosynthesis as documented in durum wheat (tetraploid wheat) and sorghum panicles although not as efficient as leaf C4 photosynthesis. In this prospect, it is still open to take up the challenging research further on the importance of C4 photosynthesis in non-leaf tissues at biological level than directly comparing with leaf photosynthesis, besides re-establishing the series of events that lead to the accomplishment of C4 photosynthesis in wheat grains. |