ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that one of membrane properties is the solute permeability of the membranes that is greatly reduced during cold acclimation. The body of knowledge that has been accumulated by many groups working on photosynthesis facilitates the interpretation of changes brought about by freezing or cold acclimation. Injury inflicted by chemical stresses must be modifiable by the chemical composition of the system. The severity of freezing damage to thylakoids frozen in vitro can to a large extent is controlled by the solute composition of the medium. The rate of permeation is strongly temperature dependent. Lower freezing temperatures lead to two opposing effects; solute concentration is increased, while the rate of diffusion is decreased. The partial processes of solute uptake and the following increase in volume and membrane rupture have all been shown in vitro and in situ.
