Biomaterial Database

Basic versus applied research: Julius Sachs (1832-1897) and the experimental physiology of plants. 2015

Ulrich Kutschera

a Institute of Biology; University of Kassel ; Kassel , Germany.

The German biologist Julius Sachs was the first to introduce controlled, accurate, quantitative experimentation into the botanical sciences, and is regarded as the founder of modern plant physiology. His seminal monograph Experimental-Physiologie der Pflanzen (Experimental Physiology of Plants) was published 150 y ago (1865), when Sachs was employed as a lecturer at the Agricultural Academy in Poppelsdorf/Bonn (now part of the University). This book marks the beginning of a new era of basic and applied plant science. In this contribution, I summarize the achievements of Sachs and outline his lasting legacy. In addition, I show that Sachs was one of the first biologists who integrated bacteria, which he considered to be descendants of fungi, into the botanical sciences and discussed their interaction with land plants (degradation of wood etc.). This "plant-microbe-view" of green organisms was extended and elaborated by the laboratory botanist Wilhelm Pfeffer (1845-1920), so that the term "Sachs-Pfeffer-Principle of Experimental Plant Research" appears to be appropriate to characterize this novel way of performing scientific studies on green, photoautotrophic organisms (embryophytes, algae, cyanobacteria).

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D010827	Physiology	The biological science concerned with the life-supporting properties, functions, and processes of living organisms or their parts.
D012106	Research	Critical and exhaustive investigation or experimentation, having for its aim the discovery of new facts and their correct interpretation, the revision of accepted conclusions, theories, or laws in the light of newly discovered facts, or the practical application of such new or revised conclusions, theories, or laws. (Webster, 3d ed)	Research Priorities,Laboratory Research,Research Activities,Research and Development,Activities, Research,Activity, Research,Development and Research,Priorities, Research,Priority, Research,Research Activity,Research Priority,Research, Laboratory
D005858	Germany	A country in central Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, between the Netherlands and Poland, south of Denmark. The capital is Berlin.
D049672	History, 19th Century	Time period from 1801 through 1900 of the common era.	19th Century History,19th Cent. History (Medicine),19th Cent. History of Medicine,19th Cent. Medicine,Historical Events, 19th Century,History of Medicine, 19th Cent.,History, Nineteenth Century,Medical History, 19th Cent.,Medicine, 19th Cent.,19th Cent. Histories (Medicine),19th Century Histories,Cent. Histories, 19th (Medicine),Cent. History, 19th (Medicine),Century Histories, 19th,Century Histories, Nineteenth,Century History, 19th,Century History, Nineteenth,Histories, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Histories, 19th Century,Histories, Nineteenth Century,History, 19th Cent. (Medicine),Nineteenth Century Histories,Nineteenth Century History
D018521	Plant Physiological Phenomena	The physiological processes, properties, and states characteristic of plants.	Plant Physiological Processes,Plant Physiology,Physiology, Plant,Plant Physiologic Phenomena,Plant Physiologic Phenomenon,Plant Physiological Phenomenon,Plant Physiological Process,Phenomena, Plant Physiologic,Phenomena, Plant Physiological,Phenomenon, Plant Physiologic,Phenomenon, Plant Physiological,Phenomenons, Plant Physiological,Physiologic Phenomena, Plant,Physiologic Phenomenon, Plant,Physiological Phenomena, Plant,Physiological Phenomenon, Plant,Physiological Phenomenons, Plant,Physiological Process, Plant,Physiological Processes, Plant,Plant Physiological Phenomenons,Process, Plant Physiological,Processes, Plant Physiological