Light independent reactions

- Calvin cycle:

1. Fixation step: Carbon dioxide is combined with 5C RuBP (ribulose bisphosphate) by the
enzyme rubisco (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase). The resulting 6C organic compound
is unstable and breaks down quickly to form two 3C glycerate 3-phosphate.
Rubisco is the most common enzyme on Earth.
2. Reduction step: Using energy from ATP and the reducing power of reduced NADP,
glycerate 3-phosphate is converted into triose phosphate.
3. One sixth of these triose phosphates will be used to form other substances such as starch,
sucrose, cellulose, acetyl CoA, amino acids, glycerol or fatty acids.
4. The other five sixths will be used to regenerate RuBP using energy from ATP.
This process occurs in the stroma.