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Light Independent Reactions definitions

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  • Calvin Cycle
    A series of reactions in plants that use ATP and NADPH to convert CO2 into sugars, occurring mainly in C3 plants.
  • Carbon Fixation
    The process of incorporating inorganic carbon from CO2 into organic molecules, forming the basis for sugar production in plants.
  • RuBisCO
    An abundant, slow-working enzyme responsible for attaching CO2 to a five-carbon sugar, enabling sugar synthesis in plants.
  • Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate
    A five-carbon sugar that acts as the initial CO2 acceptor in the first step of the Calvin cycle.
  • Phosphoglycerate
    A three-carbon molecule produced after CO2 is fixed to a five-carbon sugar during the Calvin cycle.
  • ATP
    A molecule generated in light-dependent reactions, providing energy for the synthesis of sugars in the Calvin cycle.
  • NADPH
    A reducing agent produced in light-dependent reactions, supplying electrons for sugar formation in the Calvin cycle.
  • C3 Plants
    Plants that use the Calvin cycle directly for carbon fixation, representing the majority of plant species.
  • C4 Plants
    Plants that spatially separate carbon fixation and the Calvin cycle into different cell types to minimize photorespiration.
  • CAM Plants
    Plants that temporally separate carbon fixation and the Calvin cycle, fixing CO2 at night and storing it as malate.
  • Photorespiration
    A wasteful process where RuBisCO uses oxygen instead of CO2, leading to energy loss in plants, especially under hot conditions.
  • Stomata
    Pores in plant leaves that regulate gas exchange, closing in hot conditions to conserve water but limiting CO2 intake.
  • Mesophyll Cells
    Cells in C4 plants where initial CO2 fixation occurs, producing malate for transfer to other cell types.
  • Bundle Sheath Cells
    Cells in C4 plants where the Calvin cycle operates, receiving CO2 from malate to avoid oxygen buildup.
  • Malate
    A four-carbon compound that temporarily stores fixed CO2 in C4 and CAM plants, facilitating efficient sugar production.