The Calvin cycle, light-independent reactions, bio synthetic phase, dark reactions, or

photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle of photosynthesis are the chemical reactions that
convert carbon dioxide and other compounds into glucose

The first phase , carbon dioxide fixation, basically captures the co2 from atmosphere, so it
can be used in the reactions.

To do this, co2 is attached to rubp, a five carbon molecule.

The enzyme used in this reaction is called rubisco, and the result of the reaction is unstable 6
carbon molecule that quickly splits into 2 3 carbon molecules called 3 phosphoglycerate, or
3pg

Next the process of converting the co2 to carbohydrate begins

This phase is called carbon dioxide reduction phase, because we’re adding electrons and
energy to the co2 molecule.

During this phase, a sequence of reaction uses NADPH and some of the ATP from the light
reactions.

These molecule supply the needed electrons and energy for co2 reduction

Electrons are added from NADPH and through a series of reactions, 3pg is reduced to form
g3p, a carbohydrate

ADP and nad+ return to the thylakoids, to be converted back to atp and nadph by the light
reactions

One of the g3p molecules is set aside as a building block for glucose.

But the majority of thed g3p molecules move forward into the third phase of the calvin cycle

In this phase, atp is used to combine the rest of the g3p molecules to form rubp molecules

This rubp can then combine with additional carbon dioxide molecules continuing the carbon
reactions.

To form a glucose molecule, the cycle actually has to turn 6 times, because each turn of the
cycle adds only one atom from the incoming carbon dioxide