Final answer:
The Calvin cycle is the part of photosynthesis that stimulates the production of sugars. It takes place after light-dependent reactions and involves the conversion of carbon dioxide and other compounds into glucose. Photosynthesis, including the Calvin cycle, and cellular respiration are interdependent processes forming a crucial energy cycle.
Step-by-step explanation:
The chemical processes that stimulate the production of sugars through photosynthesis in Sheila's model of the Atlanta ecosystem are none other than the Calvin cycle. This cycle fixes atmospheric carbon dioxide into high-energy sugars, which is the second stage of the broader photosynthesis process. The Calvin cycle occurs after the light-dependent reactions have trapped the sunlight in chemical form. During the Calvin cycle, carbon dioxide mixes with a five-carbon sugar, ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP), and through a series of reactions catalyzed by the enzyme RuBisCO, it ultimately produces glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P). This molecule can then be further processed to form glucose and other carbohydrates.
Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are both part of an energy cycle critical to life on Earth. While the Calvin cycle is an integral part of photosynthesis, the other processes like glycolysis, Krebs cycle, and cellular respiration are part of how organisms convert the energy stored in sugars into ATP, which is then used to power cellular activities. In photosynthesis, light energy is converted into chemical energy and stored in glucose, which is then used by living organisms through cellular respiration to produce ATP.