APPENDIX 8 



REPORT ON THE DIVISION OF RADIATION AND 

 ORGANISMS 



Sir: I have the honor to submit the following report on the ac- 

 tivities of the Division of Radiation and Organisms during its third 

 year, ending June 30, 1932 : 



FACILITIES, SUPPORT, AND OPERATIONS 



This division occupies as laboratories a large part of the basement 

 of the original Smithsonian Building, extending from about the 

 northern line of the towers westward but not including the space 

 under the chapel. Besides these quarters, it occupies offices in the 

 north tower from the fifth to the eleventh stories. 



The work of the division is supported in part by the income of the 

 Smithsonian endowment, but largely by annual grants from the Re- 

 search Corporation of New York, to whom our sincere thanks are due. 

 Besides this aid, cooperative relations exist with the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, and through Doctor Meier, a fellow, 

 with the National Research Council. Several commercial concerns, 

 including the Corning Glass Works, the Bausch & Lomb Optical 

 Co., the Westinghouse Electric Co., and the General Electric Co., 

 have been very helpful. 



The chief emphasis during the past year has been upon actual 

 experimental work in biophysics. A number of the experiments 

 which were reported as in progress at the end of 1931 have been 

 carried to successful completion, with interesting results. Whereas 

 the first year was largely devoted to building and equipping a labora- 

 tory in the basement of the Smithsonian Institution and the second 

 year to the development of special apparatus for the unusual type 

 of research to be undertaken, the past year has found these under- 

 takings progressed to such a degree that efficient experimental work 

 was possible. Initial experiments have been carried out which lay 

 the foundation for continued investigations which we believe will 

 prove valuable. 



PHOTOSYNTHESIS 



The carbon dioxide assimilated by wheat has been measured for 

 light intensities varying from 78 to 1,900 foot-candles and for carbon- 

 dioxide concentrations varying from 0.004 to 0.500 per cent. The 

 66 



