Calvin Cycle

This C3 carbon fixation cycle is a photosynthetic process in cool season grasses and plants, which takes place in the stroma of chloroplasts. The light-independent reactions, also known as dark reactions, occur and involve the enzyme RuBisCO (Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) in converting carbon dioxide and other three-carbon compounds into glucose. The Calvin cycle uses the energy from short-lived carriers (ATP and NADPH), which are created in the first stage of photosynthesis (the light dependent stage) to convert carbon dioxide and water into organic compounds that can be used by the plant.