Light-independent reaction

• Occurs in the Stroma of the chloroplasts.
• Uses all the ATP and NADPH from the LDR

  Recycles ADP, Pi, NADP back to LDR
• Calvin Cycle

  1. Carbon dioxide diffuses into the chloroplast as a waste product of respiration
  2. CO2 combines with RuBp, a 5C molecule. The reaction is catalysed by rubisco forming 2 molecules of GP (glycerate-3-phosphate)
  3. Each GP is reduced into Triose Phosphate using NADPH and ATP. There is no excess ATP for other processes
  4. 1/6 molecules of Triose phosphate made is converted into useful organic compounds (glucose, starch, fructose), the rest is used to regenerate RuBp.
• The Calvin cycle needs to turn 6 times to make one hexose sugar, requiring 18 ATP and 12 NADPH from the LDR