Chloroplast Biogenesis: From Proplastid to Gerontoplast (2003)

Chloroplast is the organelle where the life-giving process photosynthesis takes place; it is the site where plants and algae produce food and oxygen that sustain our life. The story of how it originates from proplastids, and how it ultimately dies is beautifully portrayed by three authorities in the field: Basanti Biswal, Udaya Biswal and M. K. Raval. I consider it a great privilege and honor to have been asked to write this foreword. The book ' Chloroplast biogenesis: from proplastid to gerontoplast' goes much beyond photosynthesis. The character of the book is different from that of many currently available books because it provides an integrated approach to cover the entire life span of the organelle including its senescence and death. The books available are mostly confined to the topics relating to the 'build up' or development of chloroplast during greening. The story of organelle biogenesis without description of the events associated with its regulated dismantling during genetically programmed senescence is incomplete. A large volume of literature is available in this area of chloroplast senescence accumulated during the last 20 years. Although some of the findings in this field have been organized in the form of reviews, the data in the book are generalized and integrated with simple text and graphics. This book describes the structural features of prop las tid and its transformation to fully mature chloroplast, which is subsequently transformed into gerontoplast exhibiting senescence syndrome. The book consists of five major chapters.