If 12 NADPH are used in the Calvin cycle, then how many glucose molecules will be formed?

Explanation

In the Calvin cycle, the fixation of carbon dioxide into glucose requires both ATP and NADPH. To produce one molecule of glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), the cycle consumes 12 NADPH and 18 ATP, along with 6 CO₂ molecules. Therefore, if 12 NADPH molecules are used, it corresponds to the production of exactly one glucose molecule. This is because each NADPH provides the reducing power needed to convert 3-phosphoglycerate into glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P), and 12 NADPH are required to generate the six molecules of G3P needed to form one glucose. Hence, the consumption of 12 NADPH is directly tied to the formation of a single glucose molecule in the Calvin cycle.