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The traditional view of respiration being due to the processes of growth and maintenance is questioned. A model is proposed in which plant dry matter is divided into three categories: storage material which may be used for growth; non-degradable structural material which cannot be recycled, and which is considered to be inert; and degradable structural material which is assigned a rate constant of degradation, and which is considered to be biologically active. The model has four parameters: two yield constants, and two rate constants, and it has been solved for steady-state exponential growth in continuous daylight, respiration in the dark, and l4CO2 evolution after a pulse label. Analysis of l4CO2 efflux data leads to the complete definition of the model. The utility and comparative merits of the suggested viewpoint of respiration are discussed.
J. H. M. Thornley (Tue,) studied this question.