Art of Science Gallery 02

Image provided by R. J. Cody Markelz, Andrew Leakey Lab 

Research funded by National Science Foundation

By the end of this century, atmospheric CO2 levels are predicted to double. Plants use CO2 to produce sugar during photosynthesis, and release CO2 as they respire. With research that produces images like this one, researchers monitor how increased CO2 changes the balance between photosynthetic and respiratory processes. In the leaf cell shown here, chloroplasts are labeled with red, mitochondria that contribute to respiration are labeled with green, and other fluid inside the cell is labeled with blue.