The research into the processes of photosynthesis is not
only a central part of plant physiology, it also, more than in any other field
of research, brings together biologists, biochemists, chemists, and physicists.
In the centre of the photosynthetic process, so critical to the development
and the continuation of life, stand as the actual motors the photosystems with
their light-gathering antennae, or in other words the Photosynthetic Unit. With
their discovery in the 30s of our century began research of such detail in depth
and width that it resulted in a volume which today can barely be mastered.
This book attempts to come up with a synthesis of all these individual research
results. By retracing the historical development and composing an overview of
the history of the ideas, we hope to offer the present-day active researcher
that basis that is today even more urgently needed than ever before to successfully
grasp the scientific inquest. The fact that in doing so, the circle drawn spans
from the beginnings of photosynthesis research in the 18th century to the present-day
scientific discussions, makes up the appeal and the difficulty of this endeavour.
The book relates content as well as history of the research into the photosynthetic
apparatus by not only presenting historical aspects but including and evaluating
topical and the most recent literature.