Light Independent Stage
Calvin Cycle
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is reduced and accepted by the 5-carbon compound Ribulose
Biphosphate (RuBP) to form an unstable 6-carbon compound, catalysed by enzyme
Rubisco
The unstable 6-carbon compound immediately breaks down into 2 molecules of the 3-
carbon compound Glycerate 3-phosphate (GP)
Each GP molecule is reduced into a molecule of Triose 3-phosphate (TP)
This process oxidises a molecule of NADPH into NADP and uses energy from the
hydrolysis of a molecule of ATP into ADP + P
Another molecule of ATP is then hydrolysed to regenerate RuBP from 2TP and one
carbon is lost which is used to make useful products
6 turns are needed to form one molecule of glucose
6 turns would produce 12 TP (10 used for 2 RuBP and 2 used for 1 glucose)
Calvin Cycle
Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is reduced and accepted by the 5-carbon compound Ribulose
Biphosphate (RuBP) to form an unstable 6-carbon compound, catalysed by enzyme
Rubisco
The unstable 6-carbon compound immediately breaks down into 2 molecules of the 3-
carbon compound Glycerate 3-phosphate (GP)
Each GP molecule is reduced into a molecule of Triose 3-phosphate (TP)
This process oxidises a molecule of NADPH into NADP and uses energy from the
hydrolysis of a molecule of ATP into ADP + P
Another molecule of ATP is then hydrolysed to regenerate RuBP from 2TP and one
carbon is lost which is used to make useful products
6 turns are needed to form one molecule of glucose
6 turns would produce 12 TP (10 used for 2 RuBP and 2 used for 1 glucose)
