Chlorophyll Fluorescence

How is chlorophyll fluorescence measured?

Fluorescence is often measured in leaves still attached to the plants or in leaves that have been removed from the plant but kept moist by wet paper towels. Fluorescence can also be measured for a solution of isolated chloroplasts.

A fluorometer is used with different attachments and light sources depending upon the type of measurement needed. One type of fluorometer is "blind" to actinic (or excitation) light used in photosynthesis. To measure chlorophyll fluorescence, a sample is exposed to a specific wavelength of light and the resulting emitted levels of light are measured by a photodiode in the flourometer.

• With isolated intact chloroplasts at room temperature and an excitation light source of 480 nm, peak fluorescence emission occurs at a wavelength of 682 nm with fluorescence up to 800 nm (Krause and Weis, 1984)

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