THE GREENING OF ETIOLATED BEAN LEAVES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHLOROPLAST FINE STRUCTURE IN ABSENCE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Abstract

CMU inhibits oxygen evolution in greening etiolated bean leaves. In the presence of this compound chlorophyll content is reduced and fine structure development of the chloroplasts is markedly affected. The number of grana per chloroplast is reduced but the grana are larger and contain more thylakoids than the grana in chloroplasts of the greening control leaves. Sucrose reverses the effect of CMU on pigment content and fine structure development of chloroplasts.