Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Light Acquisition

Light Acquisition

In order to produce glucose, plants need to capture sufficient light energy. Many modern plants have evolved leaves specialized for light acquisition. Leaves can be only millimeters in width or tens of meters wide, depending on the environment. Due to competition for sunlight, evolution has driven the evolution of increasingly larger leaves and taller plants, to avoid shading by their neighbors with contaminant elaboration of root architecture and mechanisms to transport water and nutrients.

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

Regulation of Transpiration by Stomata

During photosynthesis, plants acquire the necessary carbon dioxide and release the produced oxygen back into the atmosphere. Openings in the epidermis of plant leaves is the site of this exchange of gasses. A single opening is called a stoma—derived from the Greek word for “mouth.” Stomata open and close in response to a variety of environmental cues.

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and other cellular processes, evolutionary pressures on plants in different environments have driven the acquisition of adaptations that reduce water loss.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

A sugar flow model predicts cell dynamics, weight and quality of tomato at varying sink-source ratios and temperatures.

Journal of experimental botany·2026

Same author

Understanding coach burnout in high-performance sport: the sequential effects of knowledge, psychological safety, and coach-athlete relationships.

Frontiers in psychology·2026

Same author

Using ΦPSII and leaf temperature as indicators of non-steady-state photosynthesis and stomatal conductance during stepwise changes in light intensity.

Journal of experimental botany·2026

Same author

The therapeutic potential of epimedium and its bioactive flavonoids in hepatitis and cirrhosis: an integrative review.

Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology·2026

Same author

The rate of photosynthetic induction across different light intensities can be approximated using the light response curve of photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis research·2026

Same author

Understanding nerve-tumor interactions: From basic biology to therapeutic innovation.

Genes & diseases·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Stomatal Research with Automated Aperture Measurement

Author Spotlight: Advancing Stomatal Research with Automated Aperture Measurement

Published on: February 9, 2024

A small dynamic leaf-level model predicting photosynthesis in greenhouse tomatoes.

Dominique Joubert¹, Ningyi Zhang², Sarah R Berman²

¹Mathematical and Statistical Methods Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Gelderland, The Netherlands.

|March 17, 2023

Summary

Optimizing greenhouse lighting requires understanding fluctuating light effects on photosynthesis. This study presents a dynamic model to predict net leaf photosynthesis, aiding in energy reduction and improved crop production.

More Related Videos

Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana

Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: July 14, 2021

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses

Published on: August 9, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Stomatal Research with Automated Aperture Measurement

Author Spotlight: Advancing Stomatal Research with Automated Aperture Measurement

Published on: February 9, 2024

Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana

Using Changes in Leaf Transmission to Investigate Chloroplast Movement in Arabidopsis thaliana

Published on: July 14, 2021

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Behaviors by Simultaneous Measurements of Leaf Reflectance and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analyses

Published on: August 9, 2019

Area of Science:

Plant Physiology
Agricultural Engineering
Biophysics

Background:

Greenhouse lighting energy use is significant, prompting a need for efficiency due to rising energy prices and climate change concerns.
Optimizing supplemental lighting requires understanding plant physiological responses to fluctuating light conditions.
Developing "smart" lighting regimens necessitates accurate models of photosynthesis under dynamic irradiance.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a dynamic model for predicting net leaf photosynthesis under fluctuating light in greenhouses.
To assess the influence of fluctuating light and CO2 concentrations on tomato photosynthetic physiology.
To identify limitations in dynamic photosynthesis, specifically Rubisco or electron transport rate limitation.

Main Methods:

A fit-for-purpose dynamic model was developed using two ordinary differential equations.
The model predicts total stomatal conductance to CO2 diffusion and internal leaf CO2 concentration.
Elements of the Farquhar-von Caemmerer-Berry model were incorporated, assuming Rubisco activation under fluctuating irradiance.

Main Results:

The dynamic model accurately predicts net leaf photosynthesis under natural fluctuating light conditions.
For tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), Rubisco activation was sufficient to model despite rapid irradiance changes.
Photosynthetic rates at 400ppm and 800ppm CO2 showed a strong correlation between dynamic photosynthesis and electron transport rate.

Conclusions:

The developed dynamic model provides accurate predictions of net leaf photosynthesis under fluctuating light.
The model aids in understanding photosynthetic responses to dynamic environmental conditions in greenhouses.
This research supports the development of energy-efficient "smart" lighting strategies for improved crop production.