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Advantages and disadvantages on photosynthesis measurement
techniques: A review
Jesus Roberto Millan-Almaraz1, Ramon Gerardo
Guevara-Gonzalez1, Rene de Jesus Romero-Troncoso2,
Roque Alfredo Osornio-Rios3 and Irineo
Torres-Pacheco1*
1Laboratorio
de Biosistemas, División de Estudios de Posgrado, Facultad
de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Cerro de
las Campanas s/n, C.P. 76010, Querétaro, Qro., México.
2HSPdigital
Research Group, División de Ingenierías, Campus Irapuato-Salamanca,
Universidad de Guanajuato/ Carr. Salamanca-Valle km 3.5+1.8,
Comunidad de Palo Blanco, 36700 Salamanca, Guanajuato,
Mexico.
3Facultad
de Ingeniería, Campus San Juan del Río, Universidad Autónoma
de Querétaro / Río Moctezuma 249, Col. San Cayetano, 76807
San Juan del Río, Querétaro, México.
*Corresponding author. E-mail: irineo.torres@uaq.mx. Tel:
+52-442-192-1200, Ext. 6096. Fax: +52- 442-192-1200, Ext.
6086.
Accepted 17 December, 2009 |
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Through photosynthesis, green plants and cyanobacteria are
able to transfer sunlight energy to molecular reaction
centers for conversion into chemical energy with nearly 100%
efficiency. Speed is the key as the transfer of the solar
energy takes place almost instantaneously such that little
energy is wasted as heat. How photosynthesis achieves this
near instantaneous energy transfer is a long-standing
mystery that may have finally been solved. Measurements of
this process are useful in order to understand how it might
be controlled and how the phytomonitoring of plant
development to increase productivity can be carried out.
Techniques in this sense have evolved and nowadays several
have been used for this purpose. Thus,
the aim of
this paper is to present a review of the various methods and
principles that have been used in measuring photosynthesis
presenting the advantages and disadvantages of various
existing measurement methodologies in order to recommend the
most appropriate method according to the needs of specific
investigations.
Key words:
Photosynthesis measurement, gas exchange, chlorophyll
fluorescence, phytomonitoring. |
