Fluorescence of Photosynthetic Organisms at Room and Liquid Nitrogen Temperatures

Abstract

Fluorescence spectra of algae and higher plants show two bands, ascribable to monomer and aggregate forms of chlorophyll. At low temperature, the long wavelength emission is greatly enhanced and often appears as a new band. Photosynthetic bacteria, on the other hand, show no new bands at low temperature, within the spectral coverage and sensitivity of these measurements. A green fluorescence is also found in algae, which we attribute to carotenoids.