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
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