Bicentenary homage to Dr Jan Ingen-Housz, MD (1730-1799), pioneer of photosynthesis research

H Gest

doi:10.1023/A:1006460024843

Bicentenary homage to Dr Jan Ingen-Housz, MD (1730-1799), pioneer of photosynthesis research

Photosynth Res. 2000;63(2):183-90. doi: 10.1023/A:1006460024843.

Author

H Gest¹

Affiliation

¹ Photosynthetic Bacteria Group, Biology Department and Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA, hgest@bio.indiana.edu.

PMID: 16228428
DOI: 10.1023/A:1006460024843

Abstract

On September 7, 1999, the 200th anniversary of the death of Dr Jan Ingen-Housz was commemorated by ceremonies in Calne, England. Ingen-Housz discovered the action of light in photosynthesis in 1779, following Joseph Priestley's demonstration that green plants had the capacity to produce oxygen. Priestley's claim for priority in discovering the light requirement of photosynthesis is examined.