Chris Woodcock (2010) CIL:684, Zea mays, photosynthetic cell. CIL. Dataset

The plastids of plants germinated in the dark are termed etioplasts and possess quasi-crystalline structures termed prolammelar bodies that contain the phospholipid materials and chlorophyll precursors that are converted to green chloroplasts in response to light. The micrograph shows a corn (Zea mays) etioplast fixed after brief exposure to light. The prolamellar body is still largely intact, but thylakoid membranes are starting to form.

植物在黑暗中萌发的质体被称为前叶绿体，并拥有被称为前类囊体结构的准晶体结构，其中包含磷脂质和叶绿素前体，这些物质在光照下转化为绿色叶绿体。显微照片展示了一颗经过短暂光照固定后的玉米（Zea mays）前叶绿体。前类囊体结构仍基本保持完整，但类囊体膜开始形成。