Products of Photosynthesis
- Intermediate molecules of the Calvin cycle such as glycerate 3-phosphate (GP) and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GALP) are used to produce other biological molecules needed by plants
- GP is used to produce
- Amino acids which can be used in protein synthesis for building polypeptides
- Fatty acids which form the tails of lipid molecules such as triglycerides and phospholipids
- GALP is used to produce:
- Hexose sugars e.g. glucose
- Hexose sugars can be converted into other hexose sugars e.g. glucose can be converted to sucrose for transport in the phloem
- Hexose sugars can be joined to make polysaccharides such as starch and cellulose
- Glycerol can be used for building lipid molecules such as triglycerides and phospholipids
- Nucleic acids form the basis of DNA and RNA
- Hexose sugars e.g. glucose
- Glucose can be used by the plant in respiration while other biological molecules are used to build new plant biomass
- The molecules that make up plant biomass are passed on to consumers when plant tissue is eaten
The products of photosynthesis include amino acids, polysaccarides, lipids and nucleic acids
