A water-conserving form of photosynthesis where plants open their stomata at night to collect CO2, store it as organic acids, then use it for photosynthesis during the day with closed stomata. CAM stands for Crassulacean Acid Metabolism.
Named after the Crassulaceae family (succulents) where it was first discovered, combined with 'acid metabolism' because these plants store CO2 as organic acids overnight. The pathway was identified in the 1940s when scientists noticed these plants' unusual pattern of acid accumulation.
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