GLOW CURVES FROM PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA*

Abstract— Cells and chromatophores of the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas viridis were frozen in the dark and illuminated while frozen or were illuminated during freezing. Upon being heated they emitted light. The conditions under which glow curves could be produced and the kinetics of the light emission indicate that the glows resulted from the thermal release of electrons from secondary electron acceptors and their recombination with oxidized reaction center bacteriochlorophyll b. Glow curves could not be obtained with Rhodospirillum rubrum.