BRAINCAKECarbon Dioxide Concentration as a Limiting Factor
Carbon dioxide is the source of carbon for the sugars made in photosynthesis. In the light-independent reaction, the enzyme rubisco combines carbon dioxide with ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) to form two molecules of glycerate 3-phosphate (GP). If carbon dioxide is scarce, this step is slow, and so is the whole Calvin cycle.
Carbon dioxide enters leaves by diffusion through open stomata. Air contains only about 0.04% carbon dioxide, so on a bright, warm day carbon dioxide concentration is often the limiting factor.
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Key terms in this lesson
- rubp
- Ribulose bisphosphate, the five-carbon molecule that combines with carbon dioxide in the Calvin cycle, in a reaction catalysed by rubisco.
- gp
- Glycerate 3-phosphate, the three-carbon compound formed when RuBP combines with carbon dioxide in the Calvin cycle.
More in Energy for Biological Processes
- Chemiosmosis
- Calvin Cycle
- Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis
- Light Intensity as a Limiting Factor
- Temperature as a Limiting Factor
- Interpreting Limiting Factor Graphs
- Effect of Limiting Factors on the Calvin Cycle
- Uses of Triose Phosphate
All 17 lessons in Energy for Biological Processes · All AQA A-level Biology topics