ABSTRACT
Plants are exposed to different types and variable degree of oxidative stress during their growth and development. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are known to be formed during the abiotic stress conditions which is one of the inevitable processes. Effect of ROS formation in plants are known predominately in the context of the damage to the organic biomolecules such as lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. However, ROS can also regulates the biological processes that are involved in either acclimation or disruption under abiotic stresses. In plants, ROS are produced in several cellular compartments (mitochondria, chloroplast, etc.). Formation of ROS in chloroplasts is mainly associated with electron transport chain and/or by photosensitization of chlorophyll molecules. Detection of ROS in chloroplasts had always been a challenge since limitations exists with short half-life time, lower concentration, and unspecific detection probes for ROS. The current chapter is aimed to provide a summarized information on the different abiotic stresses (high light, temperature fluctuations, UV irradiation, drought etc.) and associated mechanisms in the formation of ROS in chloroplasts.
