Which metabolic pathway is shown as an example of carbon fixation?

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Multiple Choice

Which metabolic pathway is shown as an example of carbon fixation?

Carbon fixation is the process of turning inorganic carbon dioxide into organic molecules that the cell can use. The Calvin Cycle carries this out in plants, algae, and many bacteria. It uses CO2 together with ATP and NADPH produced by the light reactions to build sugars. The crucial step is fixing CO2 with the substrate ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate via the enzyme RuBisCO, forming 3-phosphoglycerate. Through a series of reductions and regenerations, carbon ends up as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, some of which is used to make glucose and other carbohydrates. The cycle also replenishes the CO2 acceptor molecule so fixation can continue. The other pathways are mainly for breaking down or rearranging carbon to generate energy or biosynthetic precursors; they do not fix CO2 into new organic carbon.

Carbon fixation is the process of turning inorganic carbon dioxide into organic molecules that the cell can use. The Calvin Cycle carries this out in plants, algae, and many bacteria. It uses CO2 together with ATP and NADPH produced by the light reactions to build sugars. The crucial step is fixing CO2 with the substrate ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate via the enzyme RuBisCO, forming 3-phosphoglycerate. Through a series of reductions and regenerations, carbon ends up as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, some of which is used to make glucose and other carbohydrates. The cycle also replenishes the CO2 acceptor molecule so fixation can continue.

The other pathways are mainly for breaking down or rearranging carbon to generate energy or biosynthetic precursors; they do not fix CO2 into new organic carbon.

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