The electrochemical interrogation of sporopollenin exines extracted from Lycopodium clavatum immobilised on graphite electrodes reveal the presence of hydroquinone-type functionalities contained within the carotenoid-like sporopollenin polymer. Electron hopping transport between individual quinol moieties over the retusoid trilete (approximated by a hemisphere) is computed to be highly rapid in acidic media, assuming the concerted proton transfer is not rate-limiting. It is suggested that the biological reason underpinning this form of natural selection is first to provide a physical and UV-shield, and second to confer the sporopollenin particles with a “diffusional protection” of the valuable genetic information contained within each retusoid against reactive oxygen species that would otherwise incur mutations within haploid DNA.

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