Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

The spatial distribution of chlorophyll in leaves.

Plant Physiology 2019 April 4
Measuring and modeling the spatial distribution of chlorophyll within the leaf is critical for understanding the relationship between leaf structure and carbon assimilation, the relative investments in leaf tissues from the perspective of leaf economics theory, and towards the emerging application of in silico carbon assimilation models. Yet, spatially-resolved leaf chlorophyll distribution data are limited. Here, we used epi-illumination fluorescence microscopy to estimate relative chlorophyll concentration as a function of mesophyll depth for fifty-seven plant taxa. Despite interspecific variation due to differences in leaf thickness, palisade fraction of mesophyll, and the presence of large intercellular airspaces, the spatial distribution of chlorophyll in laminar leaves was remarkably well-conserved across a diversity of lineages (ferns, cycads, conifers, ginkgo, ANITA angiosperms, magnoliids, monocots, and eudicots) and growth habits (tree, shrub, herbaceous, annual, perennial, evergreen, and deciduous). In the typical leaf, chlorophyll content increased gradually as a function of depth, peaking deep within the mesophyll. This chlorophyll distribution pattern is likely coupled to adaxial and abaxial intra-leaf light gradients, including the relative enrichment of green light in the lower leaf. Chlorophyll distribution for the typical leaf from our dataset was well represented by a simple mathematical model (R2 = 0.94). Additionally, we present chlorophyll distribution data and model equations for many ecologically and commercially relevant species and plant functional types (i.e. according to chlorophyll profile similarity, clade, and leaf thickness). These findings represent an advancement toward more accurate photosynthesis modeling and increase our understanding of first principles in intra-leaf physiology.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app