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A Handbook of Biology

3. ËXPËRÏMËÑTS BÝ JÜLÏÜS VØÑ SÅÇHS (1854)

He proved that-

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Glucose is produced when plants grow and it is usually stored

as starch.

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Chlorophyll is located in special bodies (chloroplasts).

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Glucose is made in the green parts of plants.

4. ËXPËRÏMËÑTS BÝ T.W ËÑGËLMÅÑÑ (1843 - 1909)

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He split the light using a prism into its spectral components and

illuminated a green alga (Cladophora) placed in a suspension

of aerobic bacteria.

(Odisha NEET 2019)

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The bacteria were used to detect the sites of O2 evolution.

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He observed that the bacteria accumulated mainly in the

region of blue and red light of the split spectrum. (NEET 2019)

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It was the first described action spectrum of photosynthesis. It

resembles the absorption spectra of chlorophyll a & b.

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By the middle of 19th century, it was discovered that plants use

light energy to make carbohydrates from CO2 & H2O.

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Empirical equation of the process of photosynthesisis

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Light

2

2

2

2

CO +H O

[CH O]+O

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Where, [CH2O] represents a carbohydrate (e.g., glucose).

5. ËXPËRÏMËÑTS BÝ ÇØRÑËLÏÜS VÅÑ ÑÏËL (1897-1985)

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Cornelius van Niel (microbiologist) conducted some studies in purple

and green sulphur bacteria.

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He demonstrated that photosynthesis is a light-dependent reaction in

which hydrogen from a suitable oxidisable compound reduces CO2 to

carbohydrates.

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This can be expressed by:

Light

2

2

2

2

2H A+CO

2A+CH O+H O

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