Chloroplasts Selectively Degrading (VIDEO) Salk Institute This video is under embargo. Please login to access this video. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Caption In this movie, a scanning electron microscopy image of an Arabidopsis thaliana seedling cotyledon (embryonic leaf) is shown as a cross section. As the movie zooms in closer, one can see that the cell in the center has begun to degrade some of its own chloroplasts. In one case, the degrading chloroplast is interacting with the central vacuole of the cell. This strategy to degrade such damaged chloroplasts may be to help a cell avoid any further damage from singlet oxygen that can be produced during photosynthesis. Credit Salk Institute Usage Restrictions with credit and related coverage License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.