Visual Overview of Photosynthesis
A) Light Reactions Flow
B) Calvin Cycle Flow
C) C3 vs C4 vs CAM Comparison (Visual)
| C3 | C4 | CAM | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where C fixed | Stroma (all cells) | Mesophyll (PEP) → Bundle sheath (RuBisCO) | Night (all mesophyll) |
| When | Daytime | Daytime | C at night, Calvin by day |
| Special anatomy | None | Kranz (2 cell types) | None (large vacuoles) |
| Anti-photorespiration | No | Spatial separation | Temporal separation |
D) Energy Budget Summary
| Process | ATP Used | NADPH Used | Evolved | NADPH Made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-cyclic | — | — | Yes (from ) | Yes |
| Cyclic | — (makes ATP) | — | No | No |
| Calvin cycle (per glucose) | 18 | 12 | — | — |