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Effects of simulated microgravity on characteristics of photosynthesis in plant seedling
1Dept of Biology, Capital Normal University, Beijing. zhaoqi@mail.cnu.edu.cn
Objective:
To study the effects of simulated microgravity on the characteristics of photosynthesis in some plant seedlings.
Method:
Plant samples were treated on a 1 pi clinostat rotated at 2 gamma/min for 120 h. Then chlorophyll absorption and chlorophyll fast fluorescence induction kinetics were determined.
Result:
After treatment on the clinostat: 1) there were some increase in height and number of leaves per plant; 2) the strawberry seedlings contained 47.5% less chlorophyll and the carnation seedlings contained 4.3% more; 3) there was no change in position of the main absorption peaks of chlorophyll in both seedlings after the rotation, but their intensity was increased; 4) there were significant increase in the parameters of fluorescence induction kinetics in the leaves of both seedlings: there was an increase in Fv/Fo, Fv/Fm and T1/2, except CA/Fo; 5) there were some differences in excitation energy distribution between the two photosystems in the chloroplasts of control and treated samples.
Conclusion:
Simulated microgravity does not have a significant effect on normal photosynthetic function in chloroplasts, so plant seedlings can grow up normally under microgravity.
