Open AccessSome photochemical experiments with pure chlorophyll and their bearing on theories of carbon assimilation
Author(s) -
Ingvar Jörgensen,
F. Kidd
Publication year - 1916
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series b, containing papers of a biological character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9185
pISSN - 0950-1193
DOI - 10.1098/rspb.1916.0021
Subject(s) - carbon dioxide , assimilation (phonology) , photosynthesis , carbon assimilation , carbon fibers , environmental science , chemistry , environmental chemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry , philosophy , biochemistry , linguistics , composite number , algorithm
The main features of the processes of carbon assimilation are that the green plant under the influence of radiant energy takes in carbon dioxide, evolves oxygen, and in the majority of cases produces carbohydrates. The only aspect of these processes which has been subjected to detailed investigation is the intake of carbon dioxide, our knowledge of which is due to the extensive researches of F. F. Blackman and of R. Willstätter. Blackman has investigated the factors, such as light, temperature, carbon dioxide supply, which influence the intake of carbon dioxide by the ordinary green leaf, while Willstätter has extended Blackman’s work by including quantitative investigation of the amount of chlorophyll. When we turn, on the other hand, to the question of the actual physical and chemical processes of carbon assimilation we find many hypotheses, but few facts. We are acquainted with the primary facts of the intake of carbon dioxide and the formation of carbohydrates, etc., but we have no definite knowledge of the intermediate processes concerned.