Cyclic Changes in Chloroplast Structure in Synchronized Euglena Gracilis

In populations of Euglena gracilis strain Z synchronized by cultivation on a repetitive light-dark cycle, chloroplasts undergo cyclic changes in strucutre. During most of the light period chloroplasts are relatively compact with closely appressed lamellae; during the dark (division) period the chloroplasts become quite distended. This change persists for at least one cycle even when the cells are left in continuous light, suggesting that the periodicity may be related more to the age of the cell than to a direct effect of light. In addition, the pyrenoid in synchronized cells has a transient existence, being present only in the first half of the light period.