TABLE OF CONTENTS 



PAGE 



Chapter 1. The Origin of Organic Matter and the Cosmical 



Function of Green Plants '^^ 



1. Historical Introduction— 2. Sunlight, the Prime-Mover of 

 Civilization— 3. The Green Plant as a Converter of Solar 

 Energy. 



Chapter 2. The Nature of Photosynthesis as Determined by 

 Observations of Gaseous Interchange and the Forma- 

 tion OF Organic Matter o2 



1. The Gaseous Interchange— a. The Path of Gaseous Ex- 

 change— &. The Sources of Carbon Dioxide— c. The Evolution of 

 Oxygen— (/. The Photosynthetic Quotient— 2. Factors which In- 

 fluence the Rate of Photosynthesis- a. The Principle of Limit- 

 ing Factors— &. The Influence of Light— c. Partial Pressure of 

 Carbon Dioxide— (/. The Influence of Temperature— e. Chloro- 

 phyll—/. Water Supply—^. The Time Factor—/?. Internal Fac- 

 tors—/. Efifect of Various Substances, of Age, Electricity, etc.— 

 3. The Compensation Point. 



Chapter 3. The Products of Photosynthesis 182 



1. The Liberation of Oxygen— 2. The Carbohydrates of the Leaf 

 — a. Dioses and Trioses— &. Tetroses. — c. Pentoses.— d. Methods 

 of Analysis of Pentoses— c. Quantitative Methods of Pentose 

 Determination—/. Methylpentoses.— ^r. Hexoses — Asymmetric 

 Synthesis — /?. Analysis of Hexoses — i. Cycloses — /. Heptoses — 

 k. The Conjugated Carbohydrates— 3. The Transformation of 

 Carbohydrates in the Leaf— a. Starch— ^. Disaccharides and 

 Monosaccharides. The First Sugar Formed— 4. Are Other 

 Substances Besides Carbohydrates Formed in Photosynthesis? 



Chapter 4. The Methods of Measuring Photosynthetic Ac- 

 tivity 



L General Considerations— 2. The Liberation of Oxygen— a. 

 The Use of Leucobases— /?. Luminous Bacteria — c. Motile Bac- 

 teria Method — d. Optical Properties of Hemoglobin — e. Bubble 

 Counting Method—/. Gas Analytical Methods— gr. The Deter- 

 mination of Oxygen in Water — h. Apparatus for Gas Analysis — 

 3. The Absorption of Carbon Dioxide— 4. Formation of Organic 

 Matter. 



225 



