THE CHLOROPHYLL UNIT IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS

In six species of plants, representing four phyla, the minimum number of chlorophyll molecules present for each molecule of carbon dioxide reduced appears to lie between 2,000 and 3,000. This finding suggests the existence of a chlorophyll unit.     

THE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENT OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

The temperature coefficient of photosynthesis in Ulva (between 17° and 27°C.) is 1.81. This may be explained by assuming that the process involves a light reaction with a low coefficient followed by an ordinary reaction with a high coefficient.     

PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN SOME ALCYONACEAN CORALS

Burkholder , Paul R., and Lillian M. Burkholder . (Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York.) Photosynthesis in some Alcyonacean corals. Amer. Jour. Bot. 47(10) : 866–872. Illus. 1960.—Quantitative production of oxygen in bottles, and amounts of chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments were studied in selected species of Alcyonacean corals, the stony coral Porites, porites, and turtle grass, Thalassia testudinum, in Puerto Rico. Photosynthetic production exceeds the consumption of oxygen in combined respiration of the corals and their contained algal zooxanthellae, both in short-term light experiments and over 24 hr. of natural, alternating day and night. Observations of oxygen production in 8 species of corals, exposed to full sunlight in 1 ft. of water, gave assimilation values of 0.9 mg. O₂ (equivalent to 0.27 mg. C fixed) per mg. chlorophyll a per hour. A maximum assimilation value of 1.56 was observed in Antillogorgia turgida. From data on the increased oxygen it was calculated that from 0.33 to 1.65 mg. residual fixed carbon per g. of fresh coral were accumulated in Porites porites and Antillogorgia turgida during a day and night period of 24 hr. Photosynthesis of turtle grass in the same environment was more than 3 times the rate of these corals. The zooxanthellae contain carotenoids in abundance, along with chlorophylls a and c. On a unit of chlorophyll a basis, the photosynthetic systems of corals appear to be less active in reduction of carbon dioxide in bottles than some other photosynthetic systems of the sea, such as turtle grass and phytoplankton observed under optimum conditions.     

ON THE DYNAMICS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Minute amounts of photosynthesis in marine plants can be accurately measured by adding a little phenolphthalein to the sea water, and observing changes in the color of the indicator. In the case of fresh water aquatics bicarbonates are added. By this method it is found that Ulva which has been kept in the dark begins photosynthesis as soon as it is exposed to sunlight and that the rate steadily increases until a constant speed is attained. This may be explained by assuming that sunlight decomposes a substance whose products either catalyze photosynthesis or enter directly into the reaction. Quantitative theories are developed in order to account for the facts.     

THE INDUCTION PERIOD IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS

1. Measurements on the photosynthesis of Cabomba caroliniana show an induction period at low and high light intensities and CO₂ concentrations. 2. The equation which describes the data for Cabomba also describes the data obtained by other investigators on different species. The phenomenon is thus shown to be similar in plants representative of three phyla. 3. A derivation of the induction period equation is made from a consideration of the cycle of light and dark processes known to occur in photosynthesis. The equation indicates that light intensity enters as the square, and that the same light reactions are involved as those which affect the stationary state rates. However, a different dark reaction appears to limit photosynthesis during the induction period.     

杭州石荠苧的光合特性及其对土壤水分的响应

本文通过控制土壤水分条件杭州石荠（Ｍｏｓｌａｈａｎｇｃｈｏｗｅｎｓｉｓ）光合的生理生态研究,解释了１９９３～１９９５年野外种群生态和生理生态研究中发现的问题,并分析了该种的濒危机制。结果表明：（１）杭州石荠的光饱和点较低,在土壤水分充足时仅３０ｋＬｕｘ左右。当土壤含水率从５％增加至２１％时,光饱和点、最大净光合速率和初始Ｐ／Ｌ值随之增加,而光补偿点则随之降低,但当土壤湿度超过２１％时,各参数的变化呈现出相反趋势。（２）在诸环境因子中,土壤含水率对光合速率的影响最显著,土壤从湿到干,光合土壤含水率回归直线的斜率增大,土壤湿度为６％时的斜率达１２．２２０８,是８％～１０％时的２～４倍和２４％～２５％时的６～９倍。（３）极端干旱时的水分利用效率最低,中等偏干时最高,湿润时又降低。（４）从光合特征值、解剖结构和叶绿素含量等判断,该种应属于Ｃ３光合类型、需光量介于阳性植物和阴性植物之间的耐阴植物。杭州石荠的上述光合生理生态特点及其它一些生物学特性,以及其分布地的环境之间的诸多矛盾可能是造成其濒危的主要原因之一。     

THE CHLOROPHYLL-CARBON DIOXIDE RATIO DURING PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Using a rapid spectrographic method of carbon dioxide measurement previously described by McAlister (1937) further studies on the time course of photosynthesis in the higher plant, wheat, variety Marquis, are herein reported. Of major importance in this work is the discovery of a pick-up of carbon dioxide in darkness immediately following a high rate of photosynthesis (see Figs. 3 and 4). This pick-up is believed to be due to the action of a carbon dioxide-combining intermediate; i.e., the "acceptor molecule" for carbon dioxide in photosynthesis. The conditions under which this phenomenon has so far been observed indicate that the intermediate is formed in relatively large quantities during the actual process of photosynthesis and not before. That the intermediate is chlorophyllous in nature is suggested by a simple stoichiometry of the order of unity that is found to exist between the number of carbon dioxide molecules taken up and the total number of chlorophyll molecules present in the plant. This is in opposition to the idea of a large photosynthetic unit of some 2000 chlorophyll molecules operating together in the reduction of 1 carbon dioxide molecule. Further studies of the induction phase under various conditions of previous dark rest and of carbon dioxide and light limitation are herein described. Employing the simple hypothesis that the number of carbon dioxide molecules not reduced during the induction period (induction loss) gives a measure of the number of elementary photosynthetic cycles unoperative or compensated for during induction together with the experimental fact that this induction loss is of the order of the total number of chlorophyll molecules present, these latter studies also indicate, in a less direct manner, that chlorophyll participates in photosynthesis as an individual molecule and not as part of a very large multimolecular chlorophyll unit. The fast dark reaction lasting about 1 minute (Fig. 7) required to reproduce both (a) the phenomena of induction in carbon dioxide assimilation and (b) the recovery of fluorescence of chlorophyll in leaves in darkness as observed by Franck and Wood (1936), demonstrates a close relationship between the fluorescence of chlorophyll and induction in photosynthesis. The rate of respiration (carbon dioxide production) of the higher plant, wheat, was measured under intense illumination and in the absence of carbon dioxide (to suppress assimilation). This value was found to be identical with the dark respirational rate measured before and after the light period, indicating very positively the absence of any direct effect of light on respiration.