Here's a breakdown:
* The Calvin Cycle: This is the part of photosynthesis where carbon dioxide is incorporated into organic molecules.
* Carbon Fixation: The Calvin cycle begins with the enzyme rubisco fixing CO2 to a 5-carbon sugar called RuBP. This reaction produces an unstable 6-carbon molecule that quickly splits into two 3-carbon molecules.
* Building Glucose: Through a series of steps, these 3-carbon molecules are rearranged and modified, ultimately regenerating the RuBP needed to continue the cycle. For every 6 molecules of CO2 that enter the cycle, 1 molecule of glucose is produced.
The overall equation for photosynthesis is:
6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2
This equation shows that for every 6 molecules of CO2, 1 molecule of glucose is produced along with 6 molecules of oxygen.
