Jean Senebier
Finding the Purpose of Leaves
May 6, 1742
Today is the birthday of Jean Senebier, a Swiss pastor and botanist.
Where would we be without Senebier?
Still breathing... but lacking the knowledge that carbon dioxide is consumed by plants and, in turn, that plants produce oxygen as part of the process of photosynthesis.
In a nutshell, Senebier’s work is crucial because he had learned the function of leaves: capturing carbon for food. Before Senebier, the purpose of leaves and what they did for plants and people was unknown.
It was Jean Senebier who said,
"Observation and experiment are two sisters who help each other."
This post was featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast:
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Jean Senebier
