Topic: Fotosíntesis en la oscuridad: descubren que las plantas pueden crecer con muy poca luz.
SOURCE
Los científicos han descubierto la «magia» que realizan las plantas en el fondo de los océanos: algunas de ellas pueden hacer fotosíntesis casi en total oscuridad.
En el fondo del Ártico, diminutas microalgas han revelado que las plantas pueden crecer y hacer fotosíntesis con mucha menos luz de lo que se creía. Un experimento bajo el hielo, a una profundidad de hasta 50 metros, mostró que la vida vegetal puede prosperar casi en total oscuridad. Este hallazgo abre nuevas posibilidades de cultivo, incluso para misiones que buscan establecerse en la Luna o Marte.
Un equipo de investigadores colocó sensores de luz en el agua del Ártico para determinar hasta qué nivel pueden reducirse los niveles de luz para que la vida vegetal deje de existir. Los resultados publicados en Nature Communications fueron sorprendentes. Descubrieron que las plantas eran capaces de realizar la fotosíntesis, el proceso por el cual convierten la luz solar en energía, con muy poca luz.
«LA FOTOSÍNTESIS ES UNO DE LOS PROCESOS BIOLÓGICOS MÁS IMPORTANTES DE LA TIERRA, YA QUE PROPORCIONA LA PRINCIPAL FUENTE DE ENERGÍA BIODISPONIBLE, CARBONO Y OXÍGENO A TRAVÉS DEL USO DE LA LUZ SOLAR», MENCIONA EL ARTÍCULO. «A PESAR DE SU IMPORTANCIA, AÚN SE DESCONOCE EL NIVEL MÍNIMO DE LUZ QUE SUSTENTA LA FOTOSÍNTESIS Y EL CRECIMIENTO NETO DE LOS PRODUCTORES PRIMARIOS EN EL OCÉANO GLOBAL».
Los microorganismos acuáticos analizados lograron realizar este proceso con los niveles de luz más bajos jamás registrados, apenas 0,04 micromoles de fotones m⁻²/s⁻¹. Para ponerlo en perspectiva, un día claro en Europa tiene entre 1,500 y 2,000 micromoles de fotones m⁻²/s⁻¹, lo que significa que estas microalgas del Ártico requieren hasta 50,000 veces menos luz.
Este descubrimiento es sorprendente, ya que revela que algunas plantas están adaptadas para sobrevivir con mucha menos luz de lo que se pensaba.
GOOGLE TRANSLATOR
Scientists have discovered the "magic" that plants perform at the bottom of the oceans: some of them can photosynthesize almost in total darkness.
At the bottom of the Arctic, tiny microalgae have revealed that plants can grow and photosynthesize with much less light than previously believed. An experiment under the ice, at a depth of up to 50 meters, showed that plant life can thrive in almost complete darkness. This discovery opens up new cultivation possibilities, even for missions seeking to establish themselves on the Moon or Mars.
Researchers placed light sensors in Arctic water to determine how low light levels can be reduced to kill off plant life. The results published in Nature Communications were surprising. They discovered that plants were capable of photosynthesis, the process by which they convert sunlight into energy, in very little light.
«PHOTOSYNTHESIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES ON EARTH SINCE IT PROVIDES THE MAIN SOURCE OF BIOAVAILABLE ENERGY, CARBON, AND OXYGEN THROUGH THE USE OF SUNLIGHT», THE ARTICLE MENTIONS. "DESPITE ITS IMPORTANCE, THE MINIMUM LEVEL OF LIGHT THAT SUPPORTS PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND THE NET GROWTH OF PRIMARY PRODUCERS IN THE GLOBAL OCEAN IS STILL UNKNOWN."
The aquatic microorganisms analyzed managed to carry out this process with the lowest light levels ever recorded, just 0.04 micromoles of photons m⁻²/s⁻¹. To put it in perspective, a clear day in Europe has between 1,500 and 2,000 micromoles of photons m⁻²/s⁻¹, meaning these Arctic microalgae require up to 50,000 times less light.
This discovery is surprising as it reveals that some plants are adapted to survive in much less light than previously thought.
CHAT GPT
Scientists have uncovered the "magic" that plants perform at the ocean depths: some can photosynthesize in nearly complete darkness.
At the Arctic seabed, tiny microalgae have demonstrated that plants can grow and photosynthesize with far less light than previously thought. An experiment conducted beneath the ice, at depths reaching 50 meters, showed that plant life can thrive almost without light. This discovery opens new avenues for cultivation, even for missions aiming to establish a presence on the Moon or Mars.
A research team installed light sensors in Arctic waters to determine how low light levels can be before plant life ceases to exist. The results published in *Nature Communications* were astonishing. They found that plants were capable of photosynthesis—the process through which they convert sunlight into energy—with very minimal light.
“PHOTOSYNTHESIS IS ONE OF THE MOST CRUCIAL BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES ON EARTH, AS IT PROVIDES THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF AVAILABLE ENERGY, CARBON, AND OXYGEN THROUGH SUNLIGHT,” STATES THE ARTICLE. “DESPITE ITS SIGNIFICANCE, THE MINIMUM LIGHT LEVEL THAT SUSTAINS PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND NET GROWTH OF PRIMARY PRODUCERS IN THE GLOBAL OCEAN IS STILL UNKNOWN.”
The examined aquatic microorganisms managed to carry out this process at the lowest light levels ever recorded, just 0.04 micromoles of photons m⁻²/s⁻¹. To put this in perspective, a clear day in Europe has between 1,500 and 2,000 micromoles of photons m⁻²/s⁻¹, meaning these Arctic microalgae require up to 50,000 times less light.
This finding is remarkable, as it reveals that some plants are adapted to survive with significantly less light than previously assumed.