BRAINCAKEUses of Triose Phosphate
Triose phosphate (TP) is the three-carbon sugar produced in the Calvin cycle when GP is reduced using ATP and reduced NADP. It is the starting point for almost every organic molecule in the plant.
For every 6 molecules of TP produced, 5 are used to regenerate RuBP, using ATP, so that the cycle can continue. Only 1 molecule leaves the cycle as product.
Worked example: One glucose molecule has 6 carbon atoms, so 2 TP must leave the cycle. Only 1 in 6 TP molecules leaves, so 12 TP must be made. Each turn of the cycle fixes one CO2 and makes 2 TP, so this needs 6 turns, fixing 6 CO2.
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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
- Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis
- Light Intensity as a Limiting Factor
- Carbon Dioxide Concentration as a Limiting Factor
- Temperature as a Limiting Factor
- Interpreting Limiting Factor Graphs
- Effect of Limiting Factors on the Calvin Cycle
- Investigating the Rate of Photosynthesis
- Agricultural Glasshouses and Limiting Factors
All 17 lessons in Energy for Biological Processes · All AQA A-level Biology topics