Using the carbon-14 isotope as a tracer , Calvin , Andrew Benson and James Bassham mapped the complete route that carbon travels through a plant during photosynthesis , starting from its absorption as atmospheric carbon dioxide to its conversion into carbohydrates and other organic compounds .
Using the carbon-14 isotope as a tracer , Calvin and colleagues mapped the complete route that carbon travels through a plant during photosynthesis . It starts with its its absorption as atmospheric carbon dioxide , and ends with its conversion into carbohydrates and other organic compounds .