In The Mid Seventeenth Century Dutch Scientist Jan Baptista

Question

In The Mid Seventeenth Century Dutch Scientist Jan Baptista Van Helmo

In the mid-seventeenth century, Dutch scientist Jan Baptista van Helmont conducted experiments to determine the source of a plant’s growth, particularly how a willow tree gains weight. His conclusion was that the weight gain of the tree was primarily due to water absorption, as he observed that the soil's weight remained virtually unchanged after five years despite the tree's substantial mass increase. However, based on modern botanical science, this interpretation is incomplete.

Today, we understand that plant growth results from a combination of water uptake and the assimilation of atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The tree's increase in mass is predominantly due to carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air, which plants convert into organic compounds, such as cellulose and lignin, via photosynthesis (Taiz & Zeiger, 2010). The process involves the enzyme-driven reduction of CO₂ using energy derived from sunlight, resulting in the formation of sugars that build the plant's structure (Raven et al., 2005). Additionally, water absorbed through the roots contributes to growth by providing hydrogen atoms and supporting metabolic functions, but it accounts for only a small part of the total increase in biomass (Ehleringer & Cook, 2014). Therefore, while van Helmont correctly identified water as a contributor, he overlooked the crucial role of atmospheric carbon dioxide in contributing to the tree’s biomass.

If I could speak to van Helmont, I would explain that the primary source of the willow’s increased weight is not just water, but also carbon dioxide from the air. The incorporation of CO₂ into carbohydrates during photosynthesis is fundamental to the formation of the plant's structural components. This understanding aligns with current scientific knowledge that plants fix atmospheric carbon during photosynthesis, forming the basis of most biomass. Van Helmont’s experiment, though insightful for its time, missed the broader picture of how plants obtain their mass, which involves complex biochemical pathways involving both water and carbon dioxide.

References

Ehleringer, J. R., & Cook, C. N. (2014). Water use efficiency and carbon isotopes in plant physiology. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 65, 105–127. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-arplant-050213-040115
Raven, P. H., Evert, R. F., & Eichhorn, S. E. (2005). Biology of Plants (7th ed.). W. H. Freeman and Company.
Taiz, L., & Zeiger, E. (2010). Plant Physiology (5th ed.). Sinauer Associates.

Dr. Jack HW Helper · Accepted Answer

In The Mid Seventeenth Century Dutch Scientist Jan Baptista Van Helmo

In the mid-seventeenth century, Dutch scientist Jan Baptista van Helmont conducted experiments to determine the source of a plant’s growth, particularly how a willow tree gains weight. His conclusion was that the weight gain of the tree was primarily due to water absorption, as he observed that the soil's weight remained virtually unchanged after five years despite the tree's substantial mass increase. However, based on modern botanical science, this interpretation is incomplete.

Today, we understand that plant growth results from a combination of water uptake and the assimilation of atmospheric carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. The tree's increase in mass is predominantly due to carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the air, which plants convert into organic compounds, such as cellulose and lignin, via photosynthesis (Taiz & Zeiger, 2010). The process involves the enzyme-driven reduction of CO₂ using energy derived from sunlight, resulting in the formation of sugars that build the plant's structure (Raven et al., 2005). Additionally, water absorbed through the roots contributes to growth by providing hydrogen atoms and supporting metabolic functions, but it accounts for only a small part of the total increase in biomass (Ehleringer & Cook, 2014). Therefore, while van Helmont correctly identified water as a contributor, he overlooked the crucial role of atmospheric carbon dioxide in contributing to the tree’s biomass.

If I could speak to van Helmont, I would explain that the primary source of the willow’s increased weight is not just water, but also carbon dioxide from the air. The incorporation of CO₂ into carbohydrates during photosynthesis is fundamental to the formation of the plant's structural components. This understanding aligns with current scientific knowledge that plants fix atmospheric carbon during photosynthesis, forming the basis of most biomass. Van Helmont’s experiment, though insightful for its time, missed the broader picture of how plants obtain their mass, which involves complex biochemical pathways involving both water and carbon dioxide.

References

Ehleringer, J. R., & Cook, C. N. (2014). Water use efficiency and carbon isotopes in plant physiology. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 65, 105–127. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-arplant-050213-040115
Raven, P. H., Evert, R. F., & Eichhorn, S. E. (2005). Biology of Plants (7th ed.). W. H. Freeman and Company.
Taiz, L., & Zeiger, E. (2010). Plant Physiology (5th ed.). Sinauer Associates.

In The Mid Seventeenth Century Dutch Scientist Jan Baptista Van Helmo

References

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