Answer: PGA (3-phosphoglycerate).
- A Glucose, formed directly in a single step
- B Sucrose, exported immediately to the phloem
- C PGA (3-phosphoglycerate)
- D Oxaloacetate, formed in C<sub>4</sub> mesophyll cells
Correct answer: C. PGA (3-phosphoglycerate)
Explanation: In the Calvin cycle, CO<sub>2</sub> + RuBP → 2 molecules of PGA (3-phosphoglycerate, a 3-carbon compound). Hence called C<sub>3</sub> pathway.
Simplified photosynthesis diagram: light energy, CO2, and H2O enter the leaf and are converted in the chloroplast into glucose and O2.
Concept context
Light reactions, the Calvin cycle, C 3 /C 4 /CAM pathways, photorespiration, and factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis. One of the highest-yield NEET chapters.