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Possible location of chlorophyll within chloroplast membranes

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Abstract

THE inner membranes of the chloroplasts of higher plants and green algae contain the photosynthetic apparatus for the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy1. Light is absorbed primarily by the chlorophylls, most of which act in a light-collecting capacity to absorb and transfer energy to the reaction centre chlorophylls of the two photosystems where the primary quantum conversion takes place2. The chlorophylls comprise about 10% of the mass of mature chloroplast membranes or 20% of the total lipid mass. Because of their key role in photosynthesis, a question of prime importance is the location of the chlorophylls in chloroplast membrane. Earlier proposals have been reviewed by Kreutz3.

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  1. JAN M. ANDERSON

    Present address: Division of Plant Industry, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, Australia, 2601

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  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1QW, UK

    JAN M. ANDERSON

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ANDERSON, J. Possible location of chlorophyll within chloroplast membranes. Nature 253, 536–537 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/253536a0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/253536a0

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