Alternative perspective on photosynthetic yield and enhancement.

In the traditional Z scheme of photosynthesis the Emerson effects of red drop (decline in yield of photosynthesis in far-red light) and enhancement (of far-red yield by supplementary short-wavelength light) are taken to be evidence for the coupling in series of two photosystems that absorb unsymmetrically in the far-red region of the spectrum. An alternative explanation for red drop and enhancement is proposed here that does not invoke the series-coupling hypothesis. It is suggested that the Emerson effects may be due to the drop in intensity of radiation from sample absorption, which causes a photochemical loss when the reaction shuts off at depth in the medium. The effects of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and temperature on the yield may also be interpreted in terms of this model.