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Chapter 9: Photosynthesis:
Physiological and Ecological
Considerations
acclimation
Shade leaf
Sun leaf
Leaf movement
In (A) and (B), chloroplasts are positioned near the upper surface of the cells to
absorb maximum amounts of light;
(C) The chloroplasts move to the side walls, where they shade each other to
minimize the absorption of excess light.
FACE experiments
showed that C3 plants
are more responsive to
elevated [CO2] than are
C4 plants
Chapter 9
Photosynthesis
Limiting factor
Light
Temperature
[CO2]
Water
Rubisco activity
Regeneration of RuBP
Metabolism of the triose phosphates
Under any particular conditions, the rate of
photosynthesis is limited by the slowest step in the
process limiting factor
Supply / Demand
Leaf anatomy
Palisade cells; spongy mesophyll cells
Sieve effect: uneven distribution of chlorophyll
causes light transmission
Light channeling: incident light is propagated through
the central vacuoles of the palisade cells, the air
spaces between cells, an arrangement that facilitates
the transmission of light into the leaf interior.
Interface light scattering: light reflected or refracted in
the interfaces between air and water in the spongy
mesophyll tissues
The spectral distribution of sunlight at the top of a canopy and under the canopy
For unfiltered sunlight, the total irradiance was 1900 - 2000 mol m-2 s-1
(~900 W m-2); for shade: 17.7 mol m-2 s-1.
Typically, shade
plants have low light
compensation points
and have lower
maximal
photosynthetic rates
than sun plants
Dynamic photoinhibition:
temporarily diverts excess
light absorption to heat but
maintains maximal
photosynthetic rate
Chronic photoinhibition:
exposure to high levels of
excess light that damage the
photosynthetic systems and
decrease both quantum
efficiency and maximum
photosynthetic rate
Southern Texas
Manitoba, Canada
Concentration
gradients drive the
diffusion of CO2 from
the atmosphere to
rubisco, using both
gaseous and liquid
routes.
The stomatal pore is
the major point of
resistance to CO2
diffusion
CAM plants
CAM plants can survive severe drought stress. CAM idling: stomata
are closed all the time, CO2 released by respiration is refixed into
malate under severe drought stress.
Carbon isotope