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Photosynthetic Thermoluminescence as a Simple Probe of Photosystem II Electron Transport

  • Chapter
Biophysical Techniques in Photosynthesis

Part of the book series: Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration ((AIPH,volume 3))

Summary

The measument of photosynthetic thermoluminesence (TL) is a low-cost high-performance technique. A minimum TL setup consisting of a cooled, red-sensitive head on-type photomultiplier, high-voltage power supply, X-Y recorder, heater-installed sample holder, Dewar flask, constant voltage power supply, thermocouple and a small flash device provides one with unique and suggestive data concerning the electron transport on both the donor and acceptor sides of photosystem II. If necessary, the setup can be graded up by use of aphoton counter, digital thermometer and acomputer-assisted data acquisition/analysis system.

The technique is not always good at determining the absolute values of physical parameters, but is good at detecting weak alterations in PSII functioning induced by some treatment or mutation, especially those manifest only in higher S-states. Measurements can usually be done with small amounts of algal whole cells, implying its useful application in screening or preliminary characterization of genetically engineered mutants. The chapter deals with its recent applications together with its basic phenomenology including assignments of respective emission bands.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Solar Energy Research Group, The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Wako, Saitama, 351-01, Japan

    Yorinao Inoue

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  1. Yorinao Inoue
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biophysics Huygens Laboratory, University of Leiden, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Jan Amesz  & Arnold J. Hoff  & 

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© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Inoue, Y. (1996). Photosynthetic Thermoluminescence as a Simple Probe of Photosystem II Electron Transport. In: Amesz, J., Hoff, A.J. (eds) Biophysical Techniques in Photosynthesis. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, vol 3. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47960-5_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47960-5_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-3642-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-0-306-47960-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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