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Anatomy of Chloroplasts

Anatomy of Chloroplasts

Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor chloroplasts—the vital organelles where photosynthesis takes place. In plants, the highest density of chloroplasts is found in the mesophyll cells of leaves.

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts

Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor specialized organelles called chloroplasts to carry out photosynthesis. They coordinate both stages of photosynthesis — the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reactions use sunlight to release oxygen and produce chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent reactions capture CO2 and use ATP and NADPH to produce sugar.
Structure of...

Animal and Plant Cell Structure

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Animal and plant cells not only differ in their structure, function, and mode of nutrition but also in how they reproduce, specialize, and organize into complex structures.
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Though both plant and animal cells divide by mitosis (for non-gametic cells) and meiosis (for gametic cells), they differ in the specifics of this process. Unlike animal cells, plant cells lack centrosomes — an organelle responsible for organizing the spindle fibers and segregating the chromosomes during...

The Phragmoplast

The Phragmoplast

Cell division is essential for organismal growth and development. In animal cells, the central spindle and its associated proteins form the midbody, a structure that has an essential role in cytokinesis. In plants, the central spindle, along with the microtubules, actin, and other cell components, matures into the phragmoplast, which is necessary for cytokinesis. Unlike the stationary midbody, the phragmoplast expands centrifugally, eventually leading to the formation of the new cell wall.
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Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides

Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides

Every plant cell has a cell wall that protects the cell, provides structural support, and gives the cell shape. Cellulose, the main structural component of the plant cell wall, makes up over 30% of plant matter. It is the most abundant organic compound on earth. Cellulose is an unbranched polysaccharide composed of linear chains of glucose molecules linked by β (1→4) glycosidic bonds.
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Photosystems

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Photosystems are multiprotein complexes that form the functional units of photosynthesis in plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are found embedded in the membrane of tiny sac-like structures called thylakoids placed inside the chloroplast.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

$Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy$

Studying the Supramolecular Organization of Photosynthetic Membranes within Freeze-fractured Leaf Tissues by Cryo-scanning Electron Microscopy

Published on: June 23, 2016

Crystalline structures in vicia faba chloroplasts.

L K Shumway¹, T E Weier, C R Stocking

¹Botany Department, University of California, Davis, California.

|February 20, 2014

Summary

Chloroplast stroma crystals in Vicia faba were observed only when isolated or fixed using higher sucrose concentrations (0.5 M or 0.7 M). Lower sucrose levels prevented their formation, indicating a critical role for sucrose in crystal preservation.

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Microcrystallography of Protein Crystals and In Cellulo Diffraction

Published on: July 21, 2017

Area of Science:

Plant biology
Cell biology
Biochemistry

Background:

Chloroplast stroma crystals are structures found within plant cells, with previous research by Perner (1962, 1963) describing specific types.
Variations in reported crystal characteristics suggest a need for further investigation into factors influencing their formation and observation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of sucrose concentration on the formation and presence of chloroplast stroma crystals in Vicia faba.
To clarify the discrepancies in reported observations of these crystals by examining isolation and fixation conditions.

Main Methods:

Vicia faba chloroplasts were isolated and/or fixed under varying sucrose concentrations (0 M, 0.3 M, 0.5 M, 0.7 M).
The presence or absence of chloroplast stroma crystals was determined using microscopy under these different conditions.

Main Results:

Crystals were absent in chloroplasts isolated or fixed without sucrose or with 0.3 M sucrose.
Crystals were present in chloroplasts isolated in 0.5 M sucrose.
Crystals were also present in in situ chloroplasts fixed with 0.7 M sucrose.

Conclusions:

Sucrose concentration plays a critical role in the preservation and observation of chloroplast stroma crystals in Vicia faba.
Specific sucrose concentrations (0.5 M and 0.7 M) are necessary for the detection of these crystals, suggesting they may be sensitive to osmotic conditions.