Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are linked through which cycle, and which metabolite is key?

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Multiple Choice

Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are linked through which cycle, and which metabolite is key?

The link between photosynthesis and cellular respiration is established by the Calvin cycle producing a carbohydrate precursor that can feed respiration. In the Calvin cycle, CO2 is fixed and ultimately converted into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P). This G3P is the key metabolite because it can be used to synthesize glucose and other sugars. Those sugars can then be broken down by glycolysis and the rest of cellular respiration to produce ATP. So the cycle involved is the Calvin cycle, and the important intermediate is G3P. The other processes listed are parts of respiration themselves, not the carbon-fixed product that connects photosynthesis to respiration.

The link between photosynthesis and cellular respiration is established by the Calvin cycle producing a carbohydrate precursor that can feed respiration. In the Calvin cycle, CO2 is fixed and ultimately converted into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P). This G3P is the key metabolite because it can be used to synthesize glucose and other sugars. Those sugars can then be broken down by glycolysis and the rest of cellular respiration to produce ATP. So the cycle involved is the Calvin cycle, and the important intermediate is G3P. The other processes listed are parts of respiration themselves, not the carbon-fixed product that connects photosynthesis to respiration.

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