Equilibrium constants and photosynthetic enhancement.
The linear (Myers) and nonlinear (Joliot-Kok) models of photosynthesis were used to predict enhancement. With an apparent equilibrium constant of 1000 between the two light reactions, both models predict a minimal enhancement of about 1.0. However, with an equilibrium constant of 5, both models predict a minimal enhancement significantly greater than 1.0. Consequently, with an equilibrium constant of 5, neither model can account for the observed enhancement values of 1.0 near 685 nanometers in Chlorella. Also, with an equilibrium constant of 5, enhancement significantly greater than 1.0 is predicted between two short wavelengths or between two long wavelengths; neither is observed.
Pickett
J M
JM
Department of Botany and Microbiology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59715.