Talk:Main Page/BIOL 4160/Fluorescence and Reaction Centers

As should be clear from the introductory remarks, fluorescence can be used as a diagnostic for the 'state' of photosynthesis. This is a very common technique in photosynthesis research, because it can be used in the field (using special --and expensive-- instrumentation). Kate Maxwell and Giles Johnson wrote a primer on chlorophyll fluorescence which gives a good flavour of how fluorescence is used as a diagnostic: Maxwell K and Johnson GN (2000) Chlorophyll fluorescence --a practical guide. Journal of Experimental Botany. 51:659--668. http://jxb.oxfordjournals.org/content/51/345/659.long. The figure shows how these measurements are made, and some of the major calculations.