6.

10 Photosynthesis

Learning Outcome:
Describe the development that leads to discovery of photosynthesis

Jean Baptiste van Helmont

Van Helmont's experiment

2 kg shoot + 90.7 kg dry soil + 5 years with only supply of rainwater for growth =
76.9 kg tree + 90.65 kh dry soil

·0 The plant had grown mainly from the water which was added regularly and not the soil.

Joseph Priestley

Placed a candle in upturned gas jar and let the candle burn until the flame went out
A sprig of mint plant was placed in the jar for 10 days, the candle burned perfectly well.
The gas jar containing mint plant was able to support a mouse placed inside it

·1 Green plants could restore oxygen and were capable of supporting combustion and
respiration/ release oxygen to the atmosphere

Jan Ingenhousz

·2 Plant only release oxygen in the presence of sunlight and only green parts of plants could
release oxygen.

Jean Senebiar

·3 Carbon dioxide was taken by plant during photosynthesis

·4 Ingenhousz verified that carbon dioxide is the source of carbon in plant

De Saussure

·5 Water is required for photosynthesis

Robert Mayer

·6 Plant convert solar energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis

Blackman

·7 Photosynthesis involves photochemical reaction and biochemical reaction

Robert Hill
·8 Chloroplasts were able to produce oxygen by splitting water molecule with the absence
of carbon dioxide