Please go through the Light
Dependent stage before this one as
the light-independent stage relies on
that stage and without reading it you
won't know why.
Cycle itself
Intermediate 6
carbon molecule
formed
This molecule breaks down very quickly however
2 Glycerate
3-phosphate
molecules
form or GP
Substances
used
12 NADPH
12 NADP
12 ATP
12ADP + 2Pi
2 Triose Phosphate
Substances used
ATP
ADP + Pi
RuBP or Ribulose Bisphosphate
Carbon is fixed here
Uses the Enzyme Rubisco.
Rubisco however is
inhibited by oxygen
This also comes from the
light dependent reaction
May be
called
galp as
well
For every 6 triose
phosphates made
1 goes to make
glucose and more
complex
molecules
There are 2 used because there
are 2 molecules of GP. Both of
these products come from the
light dependent reaction.
The atp is used for the energy
This GP can
be used to
form Amino
Acids and
lipids
The cycle is
labelled in
purple whereas
the explanation
is labeled around
in different
colours
corresponding to
each section
The cycle shown in
purple is called C3
photosynthesis
C4 photosynthesis
uses this reaction but
changes where it
happens and the
conditions
C4 uses PEP carboxylase to fix
Carbon dioxide to PEP to form
malate. This malate is then
moved to bundle sheath cells.
Then it is decarboxylated and
the normal calvin cycle takes
place. This process increases
carbon dioxide concentration
massively and so significantly
reduces the effect of oxygen
inhibition on Rubisco.
This process, however, is
only worth doing when
carbon dioxide
concentration is the
limiting factor for
photosynthesis