Changes in quantum yield of photosynthesis in the red alga Porphyridium cruentum caused by stepwise reduction in the intensity of light preferentially absorbed by the phycobilins

Abstract

This paper describes the relation between the quantum yield of photosynthesis in the red alga Porphyridium cruentum, and the spectral composition of light, changed by filtering white light through aqueous phycobilin solutions of increasing optical density. At sufficiently high densities of the filter solution, no measurable photosynthesis can be observed, although chlorophyll a molecules are still being excited at a significant rate, as can be proved by calculations from spectral distribution curves, and is confirmed by the occurrence of a "second Emerson effect" upon addition of orange light. An interpretation of this result, based on other experiments, will be given in a subsequent paper. A modification of the opal glass technique for reducing the effect of scattering when measuring absorption, was developed in connection with this research, and also is described in the paper.