Abstract
The review is devoted to the outstanding contributions to the path of carbon in photosynthesis by Professor Emeritus Andrew A. Benson, on the occasion of his death at the age of 97, on January 16, 2015. Benson is the legendary co-discoverer of the photosynthetic reductive pentose phosphate cycle, known to every student of photosynthesis as the Benson-Bassham-Calvin cycle. This pathway evolved into the dominant assimilation mechanism for atmospheric carbon into metabolites. The fundamental ecological and biochemical optimization and evolutionary stability of this mechanism unfolded elegantly in Benson’s hands, as he was the first to recognize the building blocks for the synthesis of essential organic compounds that satisfy the energetic needs and demands of most life forms. Photosynthetic carbon metabolism together with other energy and oxidative reactions and secondary biosynthetic processes are critical for the formation of organic matter; and, thereby, the Benson-Bassham-Calvin cycle ensures maintenance of the biosphere.
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