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Light-Independent Reaction

The light-independent reaction, also known as the Calvin cycle or dark reaction, is the second stage of photosynthesis that converts carbon dioxide into glucose through a series of reactions. It occurs in the stroma of the chloroplast and does not require light. The reactants are carbon dioxide, NADPH, and ATP, and the products are glucose, NADP+, ADP, and inorganic phosphate. The reaction involves three stages - carbon fixation, phosphorylation and reduction, and regeneration.

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71 views6 pages

Light-Independent Reaction

The light-independent reaction, also known as the Calvin cycle or dark reaction, is the second stage of photosynthesis that converts carbon dioxide into glucose through a series of reactions. It occurs in the stroma of the chloroplast and does not require light. The reactants are carbon dioxide, NADPH, and ATP, and the products are glucose, NADP+, ADP, and inorganic phosphate. The reaction involves three stages - carbon fixation, phosphorylation and reduction, and regeneration.

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Shannen Narace
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11/18/22, 1:28 PM Light-Independent Reaction

Light-Independent Reaction
The light-independent reaction is the second stage of photosynthesis and occur
dependent reaction. 

The light-independent reaction has two alternative names. It is often referred to as


due to it not necessarily needing light energy to occur. However, this name is often m
suggests that the reaction exclusively occurs in the dark. This is false; while the
reaction can occur in the dark, it also occurs during the day. It is also referred to as th
the reaction was discovered by a scientist named Melvin Calvin.

The light-independent reaction is a self-sustaining cycle of different reactions th


dioxide to be converted into glucose. It occurs in the stroma, which is a colourless
chloroplast (find the structure in the photosynthesis article). The stroma surrounds the
thylakoid discs, which is where the light-dependent reaction occurs. 

The overall equation for the light-independent reaction is:

What are the reactants in the light-inde


reaction?

There are three main reactants in the light-independent reaction:

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Carbon dioxide is used during the first stage of the light-independent reaction, which
fixation. Carbon dioxide is incorporated into an organic molecule (is "fixed"), which
into glucose. 

NADPH  acts as an electron donor during the second stage of the light-independen
called phosphorylation (addition of phosphorus) and reduction. NADPH was produce
dependent reaction, and is split into NADP+ and electrons during the light-independe

ATP  is used to donate phosphate groups at two stages during the light-indep
phosphorylation and reduction and regeneration. It is then split into ADP and ino
(which is referred to as Pi).

The light-independent reaction in stages

There are three stages:

1. Carbon fixation.
2. Phosphorylation and reduction. 
3. Regeneration of the carbon acceptor. 

Six cycles of the light-independent reaction are required to produce one glucose mole

Carbon fixation

Carbon fixation refers to the incorporation of carbon into organic compounds by liv
this case, the carbon from carbon dioxide and ribulose-1,5-biphosphate (RuBP) w
something called 3-phosphoglycerate (G3P). This reaction is catalysed by an enzym
1,5-biphosphate carboxylase oxygenase (RUBISCO). 

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The equation for this reaction is:

Phosphorylation 

We now have G3P, which we need to convert into 1,3-biphosphoglycerate (BPG). It


gather from the name, but BPG has one more phosphate group than G3P - hence wh
phosphorylation stage. 

Where would we get the extra phosphate group? We use the ATP that has been prod
dependent reaction. 

The equation for this is:

Reduction

Once we have BPG, we want to turn it into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate  (GALP). T


reaction and therefore needs a reducing agent. 

Remember the NADPH produced during the light-dependent reaction? This is wh


NADPH is converted into NADP+ as it donates its electron, allowing for BPG to be red
gaining electron from NADPH). An inorganic phosphate also splits from BPG.

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Gluconeogenesis

Two of the twelve GALPs produced are then removed from the cycle to make gluco
called gluconeogenesis. This is possible because of the number of carbons presen
total of 36 carbons, with each molecule being three carbons long. 

If 2 GALP leave the cycle, six carbon molecules overall leave, with 30 carbons rema
contains a total of 30 carbons, as each RuBP molecule is five carbons long. 

Regeneration

In order to ensure that the cycle continues, RuBP has to be regenerated from GAL
need to add another phosphate group, as GALP has only one phosphate attached to
two. Therefore, one phosphate group needs to be added for every RuBP generated
six ATPs need to be used to create  six RuBP from ten GALP. 

The equation for this is:

RuBP can now be used again to combine with another molecule, and the cycle co

Overall, the entire light-independent reaction looks like this:

What are the products of the light-inde


reaction?

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The products of the light-independent reaction are:

Glucose: glucose is formed from 2GALP, which leaves the cycle during the second s
independent reaction. Glucose is formed from GALP via a process called gluconeo
separate from the light-independent reaction. Glucose is used to fuel multiple cellular
the plant. 

NADP+: NADP is NADPH without the electron. After the light-independent reaction,
NADPH during the light-dependent reactions. 

ADP: Like NADP+, after the light-independent reaction ADP is re-used in the light-de
It is converted back to ATP to be used again in the Calvin cycle. It is produced in the
reaction alongside inorganic phosphate.

Light-Independent Reaction - Key


takeaways
The light-independent reaction refers to a series of different reactions that
dioxide to be converted into glucose. It is a self-sustaining cycle, which is w
referred to as the Calvin cycle. It also does not depend on light to occur, whi
sometimes referred to as the dark reaction. 
The light-independent reaction occurs in the stroma of the plant, which is a colou
that surrounds the thylakoid discs in the chloroplast of the plant cells. 
The light-independent reaction’s reactants are carbon dioxide, NADPH and AT
are glucose, NADP+, ADP, and inorganic phosphate.
The overall equation for the light-independent reaction is:

There are three overall stages for the light-independent reaction: ca


phosphorylation and reduction, and regeneration.

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