24 Calvin cycle & PPP

A set of 30 flashcards covering key vocabulary terms and concepts related to the Calvin Cycle and Pentose Phosphate Pathway.

NADPH

A reducing power produced during light reactions used in the Calvin cycle.

ATP

Energy currency of the cell produced during light reactions for use in the Calvin cycle.

Calvin Cycle

The set of light-independent reactions that convert CO2 and other compounds into glucose.

Carboxylation

The phase in the Calvin cycle where CO2 is fixed to form 3-phosphoglycerate.

RuBP (Ribulose Biphosphate)

The molecule that reacts with CO2 during the Calvin cycle, catalyzed by RuBisCO.

RuBisCO

The enzyme that catalyzes the first step of the Calvin cycle by fixing CO2.

GAP (Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate)

A three-carbon sugar produced in the Calvin cycle utilized for glucose synthesis.

Light Reactions

The phase of photosynthesis that converts light energy into chemical energy (ATP and NADPH).

Dark Reactions

Another name for the Calvin cycle, which does not directly require light.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

3PG (3-Phosphoglycerate)

A three-carbon compound that is the first stable product formed during the Calvin cycle.

Regeneration phase

The last phase of the Calvin cycle where RuBP is regenerated to continue the cycle.

Transketolase

An enzyme that transfers two-carbon units in the pentose phosphate pathway.

Transaldolase

An enzyme that transfers three-carbon units in the pentose phosphate pathway.

Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP)

A metabolic pathway parallel to glycolysis that generates NADPH and sugar phosphates.

Oxidative Phase

The first part of the pentose phosphate pathway that produces NADPH.

Glutathione

A tripeptide that protects cells from oxidative stress; regenerated by NADPH.

Elements of Regulation

Refers to enzymes like RuBisCO, bisphosphatase, and phosphoribulokinase in the Calvin cycle.

Light-independent reactions

Reactions of photosynthesis that do not require light, known as the Calvin cycle.

Electron Transfer

The process by which electrons are transferred from one molecule to another in light reactions.

Photons

Light particles that provide energy required for light reactions in photosynthesis.

Chloroplast

An organelle where photosynthesis occurs, containing chlorophyll.

RuBP carboxylation site

Active site of RuBisCO where CO2 binds to RuBP.

Carbon Fixation

Process of converting inorganic CO2 into organic molecules during the Calvin cycle.

Aldolase

An enzyme that catalyzes the condensation of sugars in the Calvin cycle.

Hexoses

Six-carbon sugars produced from the Calvin cycle, like glucose.

AWP (Aldose-Ketose Pathway)

The part of the PPP responsible for converting sugars and balancing carbon numbers.

Irreversible Reactions

Reactions in metabolic pathways that cannot be reversed, often catalyzed by regulatory enzymes.

Sedoheptulose-1,7-bisphosphate (SBP)

A seven-carbon intermediate formed in the Calvin cycle.

3CO2 + 3RuBP

The initial reactants that enter the Calvin cycle to produce sugars.

Cytosolic NADPH

NADPH generated in the PPP and used in biosynthetic processes.

Dual Function of Rubisco

Where RuBisCO functions in both carboxylation of RuBP and oxygenation; can catalyze unwanted reactions.

Calvin Cycle phases

Three stages of carbon fixation: carboxylation, reduction, and regeneration.

Glycolysis

The pathway through which glucose is broken down into pyruvate, also linked to the PPP.

Biochemical Versatility

The ability of metabolic pathways to respond to varying cellular needs.