quantasome
/ˈkwɒntəsəʊm/Biology. Now historical
noun
Originally: any of numerous granular structures seen by electron microscopy in association with the grana of chloroplasts, hypothesized to be photosynthetic units. Later: a photoreceptor unit of a purple bacterium.
Origin
1960s. From quanta, plural of quantum + -some. The quantasome was believed to be the site of the photosynthetic unit, where ‘quantum conversion’ occurred.