MELVIN CALVIN - BIOGRAPHY

MELVIN CALVIN

MELVIN CALVIN BORN IN MINNESOTA IN APRIL , 1911 , RECEIVED HIS Ph.D IN CHEMISTRY FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. HE SERVED AS PROFESSOR OF CHEMISTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY.

JUST AFTER WORLD WAR 2 , WHEN THE WORLD WASUNDER SHOCK AFTER THE HIROSHIMA - NAGASAKI BOMBING , AND SEEING THE ILL EFFECT OF RADIO - ACTIVITY , CALVIN AND CO - WORKER PUT RADIO - ACTIVITY TO BENEFICIAL USE. HE ALONG WITH J.A. BASSHAM STUDIED REACTIONS IN GREEN PLANTS FORMING SUGAR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES  FROM RAW MATERIAL LIKE CARBON DIOXIDE , WATER AND MINERALS BY LABELLING THE CARBON DIOXIDE WITH C14 . CALVIN PROPOSED THAT PLANTS CHANGE LIGHT ENERGY TO CHEMICAL ENERGY BY TRANSFERRING AN ELECTRON IN AN ORGANISED ARRAY OF PIGMENT MOLECULES AND OTHER SUBSTANCES . THE MAPPING OF THE PATHWAY OF CARBON ASSIMILATION IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS EARNED HIM NOBEL PRIZE IN 1961 . 

THE PRINCIPLES OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AS ESTABLISHED BY CALVIN ARE , AT PRESENT , BEING USED IN STUDIES ON RENEWABLE RESOURCE FOR ENERGY AND MATERIAL AND BASIC STUDIES IN SOLAR ENERGY RESEARCH .