PLASTID DEVELOPMENT IN PRIMARY LEAVES OF <i>PHASEOLUS VULGARIS</i>

Abstract

S ummary By the use of light and electron microscopy a quantitative investigation has been made of plastid membrane formation in the primary leaves of bean plants, during germination and growth in the dark. From 4 to 14 days of dark growth there was an eleven‐fold increase in cell number and a twenty‐six‐fold increase in plastid number per leaf. Formation of plastid envelope membrane between 6 and 14 days of dark growth amounted to 98 cm 2 of membrane per leaf while the corresponding formation of internal plastid membrane was 272 cm 2 per leaf. This internal plastid membrane appears to be formed, at least during the early stages of leaf growth, by the invagination of the inner envelope membrane. When a substantial amount of the thylakoid membrane has accumulated in the plastid a condensation process takes place to give the pro‐lamellar body, which is a structure composed of branching membrane tubules. Calculations based on the dimensions of these tubules have established that 1 μ 3 of prolamellar body contains about 44 μ 2 of membrane. Dark‐grown leaves have been found to contain all of the enzymes of the photosynthetic carbon cycle. The course of development, during dark growth, has been determined for the activities of eight enzymes of the photosynthetic carbon cycle and for two enzymes of the cytoplasm.