water, and sunlight
ATP and NADPH2
Photosynthesis is performed in two stages:Light reactions (or light-dependent reactions): Energy from sunlight is required.Dark reactions (or light-independent reactions): No sunlight is required. However, energy formed by the light-dependent reactions is needed.
Photosynthesis is performed in two stages:Light reactions (or light-dependent reactions): Energy from sunlight is required.Dark reactions (or light-independent reactions): No sunlight is required. However, energy formed by the light-dependent reactions is needed.
The energy required for the Calvin cycle originates from the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis, where sunlight is captured and converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH. These molecules produced in the light-dependent reactions are then used as energy sources in the Calvin cycle to convert carbon dioxide into sugars.
Photosynthesis is performed in two stages:Light reactions (or light-dependent reactions): Energy from sunlight is required.Dark reactions (or light-independent reactions): No sunlight is required. However, energy formed by the light-dependent reactions is needed.
The light reactions must occur prior to the dark reactions because they generate the essential energy carriers, ATP and NADPH, needed for the Calvin cycle. These energy-rich molecules are produced when chlorophyll absorbs sunlight, initiating the process of photosynthesis. The dark reactions, or Calvin cycle, rely on the ATP and NADPH from the light reactions to convert carbon dioxide into glucose. Without the light reactions, the energy and reducing power required for the dark reactions would not be available.
The two major sets of reactions involved in photosynthesis are the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle). In the light-dependent reactions, light energy is used to produce ATP and NADPH, while in the Calvin cycle, ATP and NADPH are used to convert carbon dioxide into glucose.
The Dark Reactions (a.k.a. The Calvin Cycle) can occur without the light. Sometimes they are also called the Light Independent Reactions for that very reason. Light is required during the light reactions because the energy from light (photon) is required to excite electrons. No such energy source is required for the Calvin Cycle because the energy has already been converted into a chemical form (ATP and NADPH) during the light reactions. The energy from ATP and NADPH is used to "drive" the Calvin Cycle (the accumulation of Carbon atoms from Carbon Dioxide). Carbon Dioxide and Rubulose Biphosphate (RuBp) are combined using the enzyme rubisco. The energy from ATP and NADPH is added (in several steps). The final molecule, gyceraldehye-3-phosphate (G3P) is produced. There is a fairly common misconception that glucose is the final product of the Calvin Cycle; but, it is actually G3P. Notice that none of these reactions (those of the Calvin Cycle) required light. And don't forget, plants don't need light for cellular respiration either.
The light-independent reactions do not directly require light energy to occur; they can proceed in the absence of light. These reactions, also known as the Calvin cycle, are responsible for the conversion of carbon dioxide into glucose and other organic molecules using ATP and NADPH produced during the light-dependent reactions.
The products of the light reactions of photosynthesis that are required by the dark reactions include ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate). These molecules carry energy and reducing power to drive the chemical reactions of the Calvin cycle in the dark reactions.
The Dark Reactions (a.k.a. The Calvin Cycle) can occur without the light. Sometimes they are also called the Light Independent Reactions for that very reason. Light is required during the light reactions because the energy from light (photon) is required to excite electrons. No such energy source is required for the Calvin Cycle because the energy has already been converted into a chemical form (ATP and NADPH) during the light reactions. The energy from ATP and NADPH is used to "drive" the Calvin Cycle (the accumulation of Carbon atoms from Carbon Dioxide). Carbon Dioxide and Rubulose Biphosphate (RuBp) are combined using the enzyme rubisco. The energy from ATP and NADPH is added (in several steps). The final molecule, gyceraldehye-3-phosphate (G3P) is produced. There is a fairly common misconception that glucose is the final product of the Calvin Cycle; but, it is actually G3P. Notice that none of these reactions (those of the Calvin Cycle) required light. And don't forget, plants don't need light for cellular respiration either.
The products of light-dependent reactions are used in light-independent reactions.