A table (Smith, 2007) showing the typical 16-elements, namely CHNOPS plus 10 additional elements, that defined the material nature of plants. [1]
In science, plant, aka "vegetable", as compared to animal or mineral, refer to any number of solar-powered CHNOPS+10 species (or CHNOKCa+10 species), generally characterized by photosynthesis, or the ability to synthesize chemicals via light.
Overview In c.1615, Johann Helmont conducted his famous oak tree growing experiment, similar to what Leonardo da Vinci is said to have done with pumpkins in the 15th century:
Helmont he found that 98 percent of the grown oak, when burned, gets converted into “gas”, a term he coined.
In 1779, Jan Ingenhousz discovered the basics of photosynthesis, as shown below:
