Question

The term thylakoid was coined by
(a) Arnon
(b) Park and Biggins
(c) Menke
(d) Willstatter

Answer 1

 Hint: Thylakoid is an internal photosynthetic membrane that was coined in the year 1962 by a Botanist, a pioneer in chloroplast structure. Thylakoids are embedded in chloroplast stroma and the grana resembles a stack of coins.

Complete step by step answer:
The term thylakoid was coined by Menke in 1962 to describe the internal photosynthetic membrane of the chloroplast. The word thylakoid is derived from the Greek word Thylakos which means “a sac” or “a pouch”. Thus, thylakoid means a sac- like or pouch- like structure. Thylakoids are membrane- bound separations or compartments inside chloroplasts. These consist of a membrane surrounding a lumen called thylakoid lumen. - Chloroplasts' thylakoids form stacks of discs referred to as Grana. These are connected by stroma thylakoid which joins granum stacks together and forms a single functional compartment. - Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotes that have a highly differentiated membrane system. - Thylakoid of higher plants that are differentiated into grana and stroma lamellae, in cyanobacteria are organized into multiple cells of concentric arrangement forming a connective network. - Thylakoids functions include light- driven water splitting during photosynthesis and oxygen evolution, the pumping of protons from thylakoid membranes with electron transport chain and cytochrome complex, and ATP synthesis by utilizing the proton gradient that is generated during the process.
So, the correct answer is, ‘(c) Menke ‘.

Note:  - The thylakoid membrane is also found in cyanobacteria. - Cyanobacteria have an internal system of thylakoid membrane where the electron transfer chain of photosynthesis and respiration occurs. - Thylakoid membranes are the sites of light- dependent reactions of photosynthesis. - Photophosphorylation occurs in the thylakoid lumen during photosynthesis.