Where does the light-independent stage of photosynthesis occur?

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The light-independent stage of photosynthesis, commonly referred to as the Calvin cycle, occurs in the stroma of the chloroplasts. The stroma is the fluid-filled space surrounding the thylakoid membranes, where the light-dependent reactions take place.

During the light-independent reactions, carbon dioxide is fixed into organic molecules through a series of enzymatic reactions that do not directly require light. While the thylakoid membranes are involved in capturing sunlight and producing ATP and NADPH during the light-dependent stage, the stroma is essential for utilizing these energy carriers to synthesize glucose from carbon dioxide.

The cytoplasm is where cellular processes occur, but photosynthesis primarily occurs in chloroplasts, which are specialized organelles in plant cells. The mitochondrial matrix is involved in cellular respiration, not photosynthesis, and thus is not related to the light-independent reactions. Therefore, the stroma of the chloroplast provides the appropriate environment for the light-independent stage of photosynthesis.

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