THE ACTION OF CHLOROPHYLL 



permanent union in a totally different order, are ques- 

 tions that cannot be solved." * 



It is comparatively easy to trace the several steps 

 of an analysis, or process of decomposition to follow 

 the original atoms in their entrance into new com- 

 binations that they may form ; but the work effected 

 by the chlorophyll cells is far more difficult to under- 

 stand. It is synthetical the formation of new organic 

 combinations and structures differentiated one from 

 another, out of the salts and gases from the inorganic 

 world, through the influence of the solar rays. The 

 theory of their action upon chlorophyll is thus 

 given : " These rays, when separated by a prism from 

 each other, are found to differ in their action. The 

 most effective in their deoxidizing work are those 

 towards the red end of the spectrum the red, orange 

 and yellow, that are the least refrangible and have the 

 longest and slowest wave length. These are the rays 

 that produce the deoxidizing action of the chlorophyll 

 upon carbon dioxide, whilst the blue, violet and ultra 

 violet rays, the rapid, short wave length rays, are those 

 that are chemically active and are oxidizing. The 

 rays of white light are decomposed by the green chlo- 

 rophyll, which absorbs and changes into heat the blue 

 and violet rays, permitting the red and yellow rays to 

 reach the plasmodium. The property of fluorescence 



* Pflanzenleben. B. 1., S. 360. 

 245 



