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Photosynthesis and Calvin Cycle Basics

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  • What is photosynthesis?

    Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.

  • Where do light reactions occur in the cell?

    Light reactions occur in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts.

  • What are the main products of the light reactions?

    The light reactions produce ATP, NADPH, and release Oxygen (O2) as a byproduct.

  • What is the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis?

    Chlorophyll absorbs light energy, which excites electrons to start the light reactions.

  • What is the Calvin cycle?

    The Calvin cycle is the set of light-independent reactions that use ATP and NADPH to fix carbon dioxide into organic molecules.

  • Where does the Calvin cycle take place?

    The Calvin cycle occurs in the stroma of chloroplasts.

  • What is the first step of the Calvin cycle?

    The first step is carbon fixation, where CO2 is attached to ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) by the enzyme Rubisco.

  • What enzyme catalyzes carbon fixation in the Calvin cycle?

    Rubisco catalyzes the fixation of CO2 to RuBP in the Calvin cycle.

  • What are the main outputs of the Calvin cycle?

    The Calvin cycle produces G3P (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate), which can be used to form glucose and other carbohydrates.

  • How are ATP and NADPH used in the Calvin cycle?

    ATP provides energy and NADPH provides reducing power to convert 3-PGA into G3P.

  • What is the relationship between light reactions and the Calvin cycle?

    Light reactions generate ATP and NADPH which are used by the Calvin cycle to fix carbon and synthesize sugars.

  • Why is oxygen released during photosynthesis?

    Oxygen is released as a byproduct when water molecules are split during the light reactions.

  • What molecule acts as the CO2 acceptor in the Calvin cycle?

    Ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) acts as the CO2 acceptor molecule.

  • What is the significance of G3P in photosynthesis?

    G3P is a 3-carbon sugar that serves as the building block for glucose and other carbohydrates.

  • How many turns of the Calvin cycle are needed to produce one G3P molecule?

    It takes 3 turns of the Calvin cycle to fix 3 CO2 molecules and produce one G3P molecule.

  • What happens to most of the G3P produced in the Calvin cycle?

    Most G3P is used to regenerate RuBP to keep the cycle going.

  • What is photophosphorylation?

    Photophosphorylation is the process of generating ATP from ADP and phosphate using the energy of sunlight during the light reactions.

  • What role does NADP+ play in the light reactions?

    NADP+ acts as the final electron acceptor, becoming reduced to NADPH.

  • What is the source of electrons in the light reactions?

    Electrons come from the splitting of water molecules during photolysis.

  • Why is the Calvin cycle called light-independent?

    Because it does not require light directly but depends on ATP and NADPH produced by the light reactions.