On the requirement of minimum number of four versus eight quanta of light for the evolution of one molecule of oxygen in photosynthesis: A historical note

A bitter controversy had existed as to the minimum number of quanta required for the evolution of one molecule of oxygen in photosynthesis: Otto Warburg had insisted since 1923 that this value was 3–4, whereas Robert Emerson and others continued to obtain a value of 8–12 since the 1940s. It is shown in this letter that the 1931 Nobel-laureate of Physiology & Medicine Otto Warburg published, in his last and final paper, just before his death in 1970, a measured minimum quantum requirement of oxygen evolution of 12 at the lowest intensities of light he used. Although using his theory on photolyte, Warburg calculated a value of 3–4 for the quantum requirement, this is the first confirmation by Warburg of the higher measured quantum requirement. However, it has remained unknown to most investigators. It is expected that this information will be of general interest not only to those interested in the history and research on photosynthesis, but to the entire sci entific community, especially the writers of text books in biology, biochemistry and biophysics.