Final answer:
CO2, ATP, and NADPH are used in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis to make sugars. In this cycle, ATP and NADPH provide the energy and reducing power to convert fixed carbon, coming from CO2, into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GA3P), and eventually into glucose.
Step-by-step explanation:
We use CO2, ATP, and NADPH to make sugar during the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. During the first part of the Calvin cycle, carbon dioxide is fixed into a stable intermediate. In the subsequent phase, ATP and NADPH from the light-dependent reactions are used to add energy and reducing power, which convert the fixed carbon into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GA3P), a 3-carbon sugar. These GA3P molecules can then be used to synthesize glucose and fructose, which are vital sources of energy for the plant.
The Calvin cycle includes a crucial step where the chemical energy stored in ATP and NADPH, products of the light reactions of photosynthesis, is utilized for the reduction of the fixed carbon to form high-energy carbohydrate molecules. Each molecule of carbon dioxide fixed into organic material by the cycle necessitates the input of three ATP and two NADPH molecules. After fixing and reduction, some of these G3P molecules enter metabolic pathways to recreate the 5-carbon molecules that started the cycle, while others combine to form glucose.