Fractionation of carbon isotopes in oxygenic photosynthesis characterization of food chains. Oxygenic photosynthesis is a metabolic pathway facilitated by autotrophs, including plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. This pathway converts inorganic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or aquatic environment into carbohydrates, using water and energy from light, then releases molecular oxygen as a product. Organic carbon contains less of the stable isotope Carbon-13, or C, relative to the initial inorganic carbon from the atmosphere or water because photosynthetic carbon fixation involves several fractionating reactions with kinetic isotope effects. These reactions undergo a kinetic isotope effect because they are limited by overcoming an activation energy barrier. The lighter isotope has
Carbon dioxide standard hydrogen electrode. The nickel-containing enzyme carbon monoxide dehydrogenase catalyses this process. Carbon dioxide is colorless. At low concentrations the gas is odorless; however, at sufficiently-high concentrations, it has a sharp, acidic odor. At standard temperature and pressure, the density of carbon dioxide is around 1.98 kg/m, about 1.67 times that of air. Carbon dioxide has no liquid state at pressures below . At 1 atmosphere (near mean sea level pressure), the gas deposits directly to a solid at temperatures below and the solid sublimes directly to a gas above −78.5 °C. In its solid state, carbon dioxide is commonly