Researchers figure out how plants protect themselves from sun damage

17 Mar 2020

Researchers figure out how plants protect themselves from sun damage

Researchers figure out how plants protect themselves from sun damageEver wondered how plants keep themselves from getting a heat stroke? After all, they are 'out in the Sun' the whole day long!

For plants, sunlight can be both harmful and good. They need it for photosynthesis, but too much sun can also dehydrate and damage their leaves.
 	The main strategy that plants use to protect themselves from this kind of damage is to release the extra light as heat. However, scientists were not sure how plants actually achieve this.
 	Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US and a couple of other universities working together, have for the first time, observed one of the possible mechanisms that plants use to release energy.
 	The researchers determined that excess energy is transferred from chlorophyll, the pigment that gives leaves their green colour, to other pigments called carotenoids, which can then release the energy as heat.
 	This is the first direct observation of chlorophyll-to-carotenoid energy transfer in green plants.

Previous research has shown that plants are also able to quickly adapt to changes in sunlight intensity. They are very good at getting rid of excess energy through rapid vibration.

A better understanding of plants' natural photo-protection system could help scientists develop new ways to improve crop yields.

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Ever wondered how plants keep themselves from getting a heat stroke? After all, they are ‘out in the Sun’ the whole day long! For plants, […]

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