Jan Ingenhousz explained to kids

Jan Ingenhousz was a Dutch physician, biologist and chemist. He is best known for his discoveries about photosynthesis and for demonstrating that it is only plants that can perform this process. Jan Ingenhousz was born in 1730 in the Dutch city of Breda. He studied medicine at the University of Leiden and then moved to England, where he became a doctor. In England, he also carried out important research into electricity. In 1779, Jan Ingenhousz was asked to visit Vienna, Austria, to treat the Empress Maria Theresa, who was suffering from a disease. While he was there, he met a scientist called Joseph Priestley. Priestley had discovered that when plants are exposed to sunlight, they release a gas called oxygen. Ingenhousz was very interested in this discovery and decided to carry out some experiments of his own. He found that when plants are exposed to sunlight, they not only release oxygen, but they also absorb a gas called carbon dioxide. He also discovered that it is only the green parts of plants that can perform this process. Jan Ingenhousz published his findings in a book called ‘Experiments upon Vegetables’ in 1779. His work was very important in helping to understand the process of photosynthesis. Jan Ingenhousz died in 1799.