Help with the Calvin Cycle - GRE Subject Test: Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology

Card 0 of 3

Question

What molecule is remade in the Calvin cycle so that carbon dioxide can attach when entering?

Answer

In order to keep the Calvin cycle going, the 5-carbon molecule that carbon dioxide attaches to in the first step must be remade at the end of the cycle. This molecule is called ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, or RuBP.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Which of the following is an advantage of C4 photosynthesis compared to C3 photosynthesis?

Answer

C3 plants use rubisco to fix carbon dioxide; however, oxygen also competes for binding. C4 plants have evolved to use PEP carboxylase, which only binds carbon dioxide, eliminating competition with oxygen. Furthermore, C4 plants separate carbon fixation and the Calvin cycle by location, but C3 plants do not. The light reactions of C3 and C4 plants are very similar, but C4 plants are more suited for arid climates due to their ability to close their stroma for longer periods of time to prevent water loss.

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Question

Plants that utilize only the Calvin cycle to __________ carbon dioxide are known as __________ plants.

Answer

The purpose of the Calvin cycle is the fixation of carbon dioxide, which essentially turns inorganic carbon dioxide into an organic compound that can be used for energy production. C3 plants only use the Calvin cycle, whereas C4 plants can use a number of processes to fix carbon, including the use of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEP carboxylase).

Compare your answer with the correct one above

Tap the card to reveal the answer