In 1940, Calvin THomas and his team of scientists conducted an experiment in which they illuminated a partly dark leaf with white light. Thomas found that the leaves’ photosynthesis wasincreased under these conditions. In order for the plant to utilize the additional light energy, it needed to transform some of the light energy into chemical energeyoungsters called photocytes. Recent research suggests that the primary photosynthetic act is not to make carbohydrates from carbon dioxide but to convertlight energy intochemicalenergy, which then can be used in various ways by the cell.