Robert Emerson

Robert Emerson (November 4, 1903 – February 4, 1959) was an American scientist noted for his discovery that plants have two distinct photosynthetic reaction centres.

Family Emerson was born in 1903 in New York City, the son of Dr. Haven Emerson, Health Commissioner of New York City, and Grace Parrish Emerson,

Experimental results Emerson's first "important" Emerson and William A. Arnold found that "the yield per flash reached a maximum when just 1 out of 2500 chlorophylls absorbed a quantum".

Next, in 1939, Emerson demonstrated that between 8 and 12 quanta of light were needed to produce one molecule of oxygen. These results were controversial, as they contradicted Warburg who reported 4, then 3, and finally 2 quanta.

These results were later shown to be the first experimental demonstration that there are two photosynthetic reaction centres in plants.

Death Emerson died in the crash of American Airlines Flight 320 in New York City in 1959.