Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Photorespiratory Mutants by Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis
Published on: December 9, 2022
History of the word photosynthesis and evolution of its definition
1Department of Biology and Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA, hgest@bio.indiana.edu.
Abstract:
In 1893, Charles Barnes (1858-1910) proposed that the biological process for 'synthesis of complex carbon compounds out of carbonic acid, in the presence of chlorophyll, under the influence of light' should be designated as either 'photosyntax' or 'photosynthesis.' He preferred the word 'photosyntax,' but 'photosynthesis' came into common usage as the term of choice. Later discovery of anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria and photophosphorylation necessitated redefinition of the term. This essay examines the history of changes in the meaning of photosynthesis.
More Related Videos
07:58Non-invasive Assay for Chlorophyll Biosynthesis Kinetics Determination during Early Stages of Arabidopsis De-etiolation
Published on: January 12, 2024
06:04Assessing Structural Traits in Triticum aestivum and Zea mays for C3 and C4 Photosynthetic Differentiation Using Free-hand and Semi-thin Sections
Published on: July 12, 2024
Related Concept Videos
What is Photosynthesis?
What is Photosynthesis?
Types of Organisms Based on their Modes of Nutrition
Broadly, there are two main categories of organisms based on their modes of nutrition — autotrophs and heterotrophs. An...
The Anatomy of Chloroplasts
Structure of Chloroplasts
A...
Photosystems
Functioning of Photosystems
Photosystems contain many pigment molecules, such as chlorophylls and carotenoids, arranged in a particular organization across two domains — the antenna complex and the reaction center. The main aim of the pigment molecules...
Oxygenic Photosynthesis
Origin of Photosynthesis