Oscillatory response of photosynthesis in leaves to environmental perturbations: a mathematical model.

Oscillations in the yield of chlorophyll fluorescence, in oxygen evolution, and in CO2 uptake observed with leaves upon perturbation of steady-state conditions are suggested to be due to the interdependence of turnover of adenylates and Calvin cycle intermediates. This suggestion is quantified in a mathematical model; the behavior of the model system in the neighborhood of the singular point of the system is analyzed. The linearized system is solved analytically, a condition for the occurrence of oscillations is given, and explicit expressions for the oscillation period and the damping constant are derived. The model is shown to be capable of exhibiting oscillations with the period observed with algae or leaves, whereas calculated values of the damping constant are higher than those measured for leaves or algae.