The article discusses the final stages of photosynthetic carbon metabolism in plants, focusing on the Calvin-Benson cycle and its end products. It highlights the importance of the Calvin-Benson cycle, which was first outlined 70 years ago, and how many organisms still use this pathway. Once carbon enters the cycle and is converted to a 3-carbon sugar, it has various potential fates, including the production of sucrose and starch, which are crucial for plant growth and energy storage. The article also describes two pathways that can bypass parts of the Calvin-Benson cycle, emphasizing their roles in plant metabolism. Sucrose synthesis involves the formation of sucrose 6-phosphate from fructose 6-phosphate and UDP-glucose, with regulation by phosphorylation and 14-3-3 proteins. Starch metabolism is essential for maintaining energy supply during the night, with starch breakdown providing sugars for the plant. The article also covers photorespiration, which produces serine and glycine, and its impact on photosynthetic efficiency. Additionally, it discusses the lower glycolytic pathway in chloroplasts, the pyruvate paradox, and shunts that bypass Calvin-Benson cycle reactions. The review concludes that understanding the end products of photosynthesis is crucial for improving agricultural productivity and highlights areas for further research, such as the regulation of G6P in the stroma and the pyruvate paradox. The study underscores the complexity of photosynthetic carbon metabolism and its significance in plant biology.The article discusses the final stages of photosynthetic carbon metabolism in plants, focusing on the Calvin-Benson cycle and its end products. It highlights the importance of the Calvin-Benson cycle, which was first outlined 70 years ago, and how many organisms still use this pathway. Once carbon enters the cycle and is converted to a 3-carbon sugar, it has various potential fates, including the production of sucrose and starch, which are crucial for plant growth and energy storage. The article also describes two pathways that can bypass parts of the Calvin-Benson cycle, emphasizing their roles in plant metabolism. Sucrose synthesis involves the formation of sucrose 6-phosphate from fructose 6-phosphate and UDP-glucose, with regulation by phosphorylation and 14-3-3 proteins. Starch metabolism is essential for maintaining energy supply during the night, with starch breakdown providing sugars for the plant. The article also covers photorespiration, which produces serine and glycine, and its impact on photosynthetic efficiency. Additionally, it discusses the lower glycolytic pathway in chloroplasts, the pyruvate paradox, and shunts that bypass Calvin-Benson cycle reactions. The review concludes that understanding the end products of photosynthesis is crucial for improving agricultural productivity and highlights areas for further research, such as the regulation of G6P in the stroma and the pyruvate paradox. The study underscores the complexity of photosynthetic carbon metabolism and its significance in plant biology.