Photosynthesis in diatoms

Abstract The photosynthetic apparatus of diatoms shares many features with other oxygen evolving systems in eukaryotic algae. Nevertheless, the photosynthetic machinery in diatoms shows special features, which will be presented in this chapter. On a structural level, the present chapter describes the components of the light harvesting antenna systems, which are very efficient light absorbing units, not only in the blue and red regions of the spectrum, but also in the green part of natural sunlight. On a physiological level, the differences between diatoms and other eukaryotic algae with respect to the regulation of heat dissipation and alternative electron flows are addressed. Beside the special features observed in the photosynthetic light reactions, diatoms exhibit interesting deviations from the green algal lineage with respect to carbon acquisition and the exchange of metabolites between plastid and cytosol. These will be described at the end of the present chapter.