Photosynthetica 2018, 56(1):44-47 | DOI: 10.1007/s11099-017-0738-8

On oxygen production by photosynthesis: A viewpoint

A. Yu. Borisov1, L. O. Björn2,*
1 A.N. Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology in M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
2 Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

In this brief communication we provide an estimate of the part of the incident solar energy used for oxygen evolution as well as the time, in years, needed for the generation of the present amount of molecular oxygen in the biosphere by photosynthesis on land and in the ocean. We find this to be ≈3,000 yr. We also find that the ocean produces 22% more oxygen than the land surface.

Keywords: Govindjee; net primary production; oceanic oxygen production; solar radiation; terrestrial oxygen production

Received: February 12, 2017; Accepted: May 2, 2017; Published: March 1, 2018Show citation

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Yu. Borisov, A., & Björn, L.O. (2018). On oxygen production by photosynthesis: A viewpoint. Photosynthetica, 56(1), 44-47. doi: 10.1007/s11099-017-0738-8.
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