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Biophotons pp 1–17Cite as

Photophysical Reactions in Cells

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Abstract

The present report briefly summarises general principles of the interaction between solar radiation and living matter. In general, a photon flux can be used either as a carrier of different levels of information (enzyme activation, regulation of gene expression, photomorphogenesis, phototaxis, phototropism, process of vision) or of Gibbs energy as the driving force for biological processes. The main part of this contribution deals with the process of solar energy exploitation by water cleavage in oxygen evolving photosynthesising organisms. Special emphasis is paid to the adaptation to different illumination conditions by suitable antenna systems and the transformation of electronically excited states into electrochemical Gibbs energy by charge separation in the reaction centres. It is also shown that electron-hole recombination in the oxygen evolving Photosystem II leads to formation of the lowest excited singlet state of chlorophyll and radiative emission either as delayed luminescence or as thermoluminescence.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Max-Volmer-Institute, Technical University, Berlin, Str. des 17. Juni 135, 10623, Berlin, Germany

    G. Renger

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  1. G. Renger
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China

    Jiin-Ju Chang

  2. International Institute of Biophysics, Hombroich, Germany

    Jiin-Ju Chang  & Fritz-Albert Popp  & 

  3. Institute of Optical Devices, Technical University Ilmenau, Germany

    Joachim Fisch

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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Renger, G. (1998). Photophysical Reactions in Cells. In: Chang, JJ., Fisch, J., Popp, FA. (eds) Biophotons. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0928-6_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0928-6_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-90-481-5033-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-017-0928-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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