A SEPARATION OF THE REACTIONS IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS BY MEANS OF INTERMITTENT LIGHT

Abstract

Experiments on photosynthesis in intermittent light have been made on two occasions. They found three-quarters of the light from a given source could be cut out in each revolution of the sector without decreasing the rate of photosynthesis. Willst~itter (1918, p. 240) explains that this was probably due to the low concentration of carbon dioxide available for the leaves. The short periods of light would be sufficient to reduce all the carbon dioxide which could reach the cells by diffusion during the dark periods.