Question

Contribution of Ingen-Housz in elucidation of process of photosynthesis is that:

• A. only green parts of plants exposed to light can convert foul air $\left( CO _2\right)$ into pure air $\left( O _2\right)$.
• B. green plants convert light energy into chemical energy
• C. plants have the capacity to purify foul air.
• D. sunlight is the ultimate source of energy for plants and animals.

Answer 1

Answer: (A)

Jan Ingenhousz showed that sunlight is essential to the plant process that somehow purifies the air fouled by burning candles or breathing animals. Ingenhousz in an experiment with an aquatic plant showed that in bright sunlight, small bubbles were formed around the green parts while in the dark they did not form any bubbles. Later he identified the bubbles as oxygen. Hence, he showed that it is only the green parts of the plants that could release oxygen