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Biology

Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

Light reactions, the two photosystems, cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphorylation, the Calvin cycle, C4 pathway, and photorespiration fill this chapter. NEET mixes recall with counting: ATP and NADPH requirements and C3 versus C4 comparisons come up again and again.

Exam rules change between cycles. Confirm dates, syllabus and pattern against NTA's official site. We are not NTA.

Weightage: what the paper actually did

Photosynthesis in Higher Plants carried 3 questions in the NEET 2026 paper. One paper is a data point, not a destiny: NTA moves weight between chapters every cycle, which is why the weightage tables deserve care. The stable facts are the paper's shape: 180 questions, 720 marks, +4 right, −1 wrong.

Sample PYQs from this chapter

Real questions NTA asked from Photosynthesis in Higher Plants, with the answer and the working. Try before you peek.

Question 1 · NEET 2026

How many ATP and NADPH molecules are required to make one molecule of glucose through the Calvin pathway?
  1. A.18 ATP and 12 NADPH
  2. B.12 ATP and 18 NADPH
  3. C.24 ATP and 18 NADPH
  4. D.6 ATP and 12 NADPH
Answer and explanation

Answer: A

Fixing one CO2 in the Calvin cycle consumes 3 ATP and 2 NADPH. Synthesising one glucose requires the fixation of 6 CO2 (six turns of the cycle), so the total need is 6×3=186 \times 3 = 18 ATP and 6×2=126 \times 2 = 12 NADPH.

Question 2 · NEET 2026

The enzyme required for carboxylation in the Calvin cycle is
  1. A.Hexokinase
  2. B.PEP carboxylase
  3. C.RuBP carboxylase - oxygenase
  4. D.Carboxypeptidase
Answer and explanation

Answer: C

In the Calvin cycle, CO2 is fixed onto RuBP by RuBP carboxylase-oxygenase (RuBisCO), the most abundant enzyme in the biosphere. PEP carboxylase catalyses the primary CO2 fixation in mesophyll cells of C4/CAM plants but not the Calvin-cycle carboxylation, while hexokinase and carboxypeptidase have unrelated functions.

How to practise Photosynthesis in Higher Plants

Chapter by chapter, against real past-paper questions, on a screen: NEET is computer based from 2027. Read the chapter once, then attempt its PYQs until your accuracy stops climbing, and let the wrong answers tell you which lines to reread. If the chapter keeps refusing to stick, that has its own guide. There is also a free 12-question mock on the exam screen.

Nearby Biology chapters

Questions

How many questions did Photosynthesis in Higher Plants have in NEET 2026?

Photosynthesis in Higher Plants carried 3 questions in the NEET 2026 paper. Weightage shifts between cycles, so treat it as a probability, not a promise.

Where can I practise Photosynthesis in Higher Plants PYQs for NEET?

In the BrainIt app, free until the 2027 exam: its bank holds 50,000 past NTA questions tagged to all 83 chapters, including this one, with accuracy tracked per chapter. Sample questions from this chapter are on this page.

Is Photosynthesis in Higher Plants important for NEET 2027?

It is part of the Biology syllabus the paper draws from, and NEET 2027 is computer based, so practise it on a screen. Your own accuracy in the chapter matters more than any weightage table: a heavy chapter you already score well on needs less time than a light one you keep missing.

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