Ke, B. Photosynthesis: photobiochemistry and photobiophysics

This volume is the tenth in the major series on photosynthesis,Advances in photosynthesis, and departs from the usually multi-authorvolumes, being by a single author. Bacon Ke has produced a valuableaddition to the review literature covering the reactions thatoccur in the process between 10^–12 and 10^–13 seconds.These fundamental processes are basically the transfer of theenergy of photons to the pigments of the biological system,producing     

Photosynthesis: 1900-1930.

During the second half of the 19th century Julius von Sachs established the main principles of the photosynthetic production of sugars. From then, a growing number of biochemists and physiologists attended to the process, that appeared like a "black box", in order to detect what came in and what went out of it. The English group of Frederick Blackman gave a remarkable contribution in individuating the close connection between temperature, light and CO2 concentration. Later, the great importance of light was stressed by Otto Warburg, who evaluated the radiant energy necessary to the process in terms of quantum theory. The biochemical mechanism of photosynthesis was interpreted by the main European schools on the basis of Adolf Baeyer's suggestion which posed formaldehyde as the core of the process. Formaldehyde's theory hold engaged the biochemists for about fifty years although some voices rose up against it. However, nobody could put forward more coherent theories until the 1940s, when Sam Ruben and Martin Kamen individuated the cyclic pattern of the process. Ultimately, the first thirty years of the 20th century must be seen as a preliminary stage studded with light and shade even if, in spite of controversial trends, several findings of remarkable interest became to disclose that "black box" as we know today chlorophyll photosynthesis.     

Microclimate, Canopy Structure and Photosynthesis in Canopies of Three Contrasting Temperate Forage Grasses: III. Canopy Photosynthesis, Individual Leaf Photosynthesis and the Distribution of Current Assimilate

The rates of canopy and individual leaf photosynthesis and ¹⁴Cdistribution for three temperate forage grasses Lolium perennecv. S24, L. perenne cv. Reveille and Festuc'a arundinacea cv.SI70 were determined in the field during a summer growth period.Canopy photosynthesis declined as the growth period progressed,reflecting a decline in the photosynthetic capacity of successiveyoungest fully expanded leaves. The decline in the maximum photosyntheticcapacity of the canopies was correlated with a decline in theirquantum efficiencies at low irradiance. Changes in canopy structureresulted in changes in canopy net photosynthesis and dark respiration.No clear relationships between changes in the environment andchanges in canopy net photosynthesis and dark respiration wereestablished. The relative distributions of ¹⁴C in the shootsof the varieties gave a good indication of the amount of drymatter per ground area in the varieties.     

Murata,N. (ed.):Research in Photosynthesis. Vol. I. (Proceedings of the IXth International Congress on Photosynthesis,Nagoya, Japan,August 30–September 4, 1992)

Biologia Plantarum -