Photosynthesis and the complex network within plants is becoming more important than ever, because of the earth s changing climate. In addition, the concepts can be used in other areas, and the science itself is useful in practical applications in many branches of science, including medicine, biology, biophysics, and chemistry. This original, groundbreaking work by two highly experienced and well-known scientists introduces a new and different approach to thinking about living organisms, what we can learn from them, and how we can use the concepts within their scientific makeup in practice. This book describes the principles of complex signaling networks enabling spatiotemporally-directed macroscopic processes by the coupling of systems leading to a bottom-up information transfer in photosynthetic organisms. Top-down messengers triggered by macroscopic actuators like sunlight, gravity, environment or stress lead to an activation of the gene regulation on the molecular level. Mainly the generation and monitoring, as well the role of reactive oxygen species in photosynthetic organisms as typical messengers in complex networks, are described. A theoretical approach according to the principle of synergetics is presented to model light absorption, electron transfer and membrane dynamics in plants. A special focus will be attended to nonlinear processes that form the basic principle for the accumulation of energy reservoirs and large forces enabling the dynamics of macroscopic devices. This volume is a must-have for any scientist, student, or engineer working with photosynthesis. The concepts herein are not available anywhere else, in any other format, and it is truly a groundbreaking work with sure to be long-lasting effects on the scientific community.

Photosynthesis and the complex network within plants is becoming more important than ever, because of the earth's changing climate. In addition, the concepts can be used in other areas, and the science itself is useful in practical applications in many branches of science, including medicine, biology, biophysics, and chemistry. This original, groundbreaking work by two highly experienced and well-known scientists introduces a new and different approach to thinking about living organisms, what we can learn from them, and how we can use the concepts within their scientific makeup in practice.This book describes the principles of complex signaling networks enabling spatiotemporally-directed macroscopic processes by the coupling of systems leading to a bottom-up information transfer in photosynthetic organisms. Top-down messengers triggered by macroscopic actuators like sunlight, gravity, environment or stress lead to an activation of the gene regulation on the molecular level. Mainly the generation and monitoring, as well the role of reactive oxygen species in photosynthetic organisms as typical messengers in complex networks, are described. A theoretical approach according to the principle of synergetics is presented to model light absorption, electron transfer and membrane dynamics in plants. A special focus will be attended to nonlinear processes that form the basic principle for the accumulation of energy reservoirs and large forces enabling the dynamics of macroscopic devices.This volume is a must-have for any scientist, student, or engineer working with photosynthesis. The concepts herein are not available anywhere else, in any other format, and it is truly a groundbreaking work with sure to be long-lasting effects on the scientific community.

Abstract ixForeward 1 xiForeward 2 xiiiPreface xv1 Multiscale Hierarchical Processes 11.1 Coupled Systems, Hierarchy and Emergence 21.2 Principles of Synergetics 121.3 Axiomatic Motivation of Rate Equations 151.4 Rate Equations in Photosynthesis 191.5 Top down and Bottom up Signaling 232 Photophysics, Photobiology and Photosynthesis 272.1 Light Induced State Dynamics 272.2 Rate Equations and Excited State Dynamics in Coupled Systems 412.3 Light-Harvesting, Energy and Charge Transfer and Primary Processes of Photosynthesis 642.4 Antenna Complexes in Photosynthetic Systems 702.5 Fluorescence Emission as a Tool for Monitoring PS II Function 912.6 Excitation Energy Transfer and Electron Transfer Steps in Cyanobacteria Modeled with Rate Equations 932.7 Excitation Energy and Electron Transfer in Higher Plants Modeled with Rate Equations 1052.8 Nonphotochemical Quenching in Plants and Cyanobacteria 1142.9 Hierarchical Architecture of Plants 1183 Formation and Functional Role of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) 1233.1 Generation, Decay and Deleterious Action of ROS 1253.2 Monitoring of ROS 1373.3 Signaling Role of ROS 1514 ROS Signaling in Coupled Nonlinear Systems 1574.1 Signaling by Superoxide and Hydrogen Peroxide in Cyanobacteria 1584.2 Signaling by Singlet Oxygen and Hydrogen Peroxide in Eukaryotic Cells and Plants 1634.3 ROS and Cell Redox Control and Interaction with the Nuclear Gene Expression 1674.4 ROS as Top down and Bottom up Messengers 1744.5 Second Messengers and Signaling Molecules in H2O2 Signaling Chains and (Nonlinear) Networking 1914.6 ROS-Waves and Prey-Predator Models 1924.7 Open Questions on ROS Coupling in Nonlinear Systems 1965 Th e Role of ROS in Evolution 1995.1 Th e Big Bang of the Ecosphere 2005.2 Complicated Patterns Result from Simple Rules but Only the Useful Patterns are Stable 2015.3 Genetic Diversity and Selection Pressure as Driving Forces for Evolution 2056 Outlook: Control and Feedback in Hierarchical Systems in Society, Politics and Economics 209Bibliography 213Appendix 249Index 259