I. Quick Maths. Give the exact amounts being asked.

(3 points each)

1. How much of each is needed to produce one glucose molecule via the Calvin cycle?
You need 6 CO2, 18 ATP, 12 NADPH to produce one molecule of glucose via the Calvin cycle.

2. Ideally, how much ATP is produced from each of these steps?

a. Glycolysis = 2 ATP produced
b. Krebs Cycle = 2 ATP produced
c. ETC & Oxidative Phosphorylation = 30-34 ATP produced

II. Think A Little Bit. For each number, do not exceed 4 sentences. (4 points each)

3. In class, we studied photosynthesis at the chloroplast level. However, most plants are much
more complex than just bags of chloroplasts. They also have structures to regulate the flow or
air and water and have a timetable of when they will carry out the different parts of
photosynthesis. For example, the light reactions obviously tend to happen during the day, when
sunlight is present.
However, in harsh environments like deserts, plants must adapt the way they do photosynthesis
to prevent fatal losses of water. Two of these photosynthetic adaptations are the C4 pathway
and the CAM pathway. What have the C4 plants and CAM plants changed about the way they do
photosynthesis? How do these changes help them survive in their respective environments?
ANSWER: C4 plants and CAM plants have found a special way in order to conserve their water in
a way of closing the stomata found within. With their closed stomata, the plants open them
during a specific time of the day in order to collect carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. These
changes in photosynthesis helps these kinds of plants to survive longer because with their harsh
environments, they have to find a way to adapt to it in order to live.

4. The Ketogenic diet, also called the Keto diet, is a special low-carbohydrate diet formulated to
help treat epilepsy in children. However, many people not suffering epilepsy have begun
following this diet for health purposes and fat loss – though its effectivity in those areas is as of
yet still unproven.
Recall the chemical reaction for cell respiration, in which glucose and oxygen are used to
produce energy in the form of ATP. For people following a Keto diet, their glucose intake is at or
near zero. This means that their bodies are not supplied with glucose for energy. Where then do
these people get their energy? What changes in the way they carry out cell respiration?
ANSWER: People who do the Ketogenic diet get their energy from the stored fat they already
have. The result of the keto diet is that the body’s glucose levels lower down, therefore having a
need to look for an alternative source of energy. The body enters a state called ketosis, wherein
the body breaks down high energy fat molecules called triglyceride, which is abundant in the
body’s stored fat.
III. Think A Little Bit More. Answer the following questions in 1 sentence each. (2 points each,
all or nothing for #5)
5. In his laboratory, Dr. Pedroso removed only the thylakoids from a plant and placed them in a
solution of ADP, NADP+, and phosphate. He then exposed the solution to light in every color of
the rainbow. What products should he expect to find in the solution after some time?
ANSWER: The end products are O₂, NADPH and ATP.
6. Tree planting is one way that many people try to address the increasing levels of carbon dioxide
in our atmosphere. The idea is that trees absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis,
incorporating the carbon into their cells. However, tree planting alone cannot compete with the
increasing levels of carbon dioxide. Why not?
ANSWER: It is because the ratio between the number of trees and levels of carbon dioxide is not
equal/even, which means that there must be more other contributing actions other than
planting trees that can compete with the increasing levels of carbon dioxide.

References:
Ketogenic Diet Resource. (2018). Ketosis: Metabolic Flexibility in Action. Retrieved from
https://www.ketogenic-diet-resource.com/ketosis.html
J. Hardin, G. Bertoni, L. Kleinsmith. (2012). Becker’s World of the Cell, 8th Edition. Published by
Pearson Education.