The first important biological investigation, which led to the conclusion that plant makes its substance from water and not from soil carried out by
A. Lamarck
B. De Vries
C. Van Helmont
D. Darwin

Hint: He carried out the experiment with a willow tree. “Blas” and “Gas” around which his teachings revolved. He wanted to prove that plants use material from the soil to perform photosynthesis. He observed nature carefully and concluded that the mass of the tree increased due to water. He discovered photosynthesis partially during the 1600s.

Complete answer: An organic or biological evolution is defined as the development of an organism from pre-existing to organisms over time. There are different theories and evidence that describes different progress and evolution on the earth.
a) Lamarck: The French biologist proposed this hypothesis on the mechanism of evolution, based on the use and disuse of the body parts, inheritance of acquired characters and effect of the environment that pulled organisms toward the greater complexity.
b) De Vries: He proposed the mutation theory, which states that evolution is a jerky process, where new varieties and species are formed by mutation. This theory proposes the idea that new species are formed very sudden.
c) Van Helmont: He did not discover photosynthesis, but his famous experiment with the willow tree planted in an appropriate amount of soil over several years gave a very good hint to others. He found that tree gathered weight by being nourished with water, but the weight gained was not coming from the soil.
d) Darwin: He proposed the theory Darwinism. This theory states that all species of an organism arise and develop through natural selection. He proposed his recordings in the book “On the Origin of Species” in 1859.
Hence, the correct answer is option C.

Note: Jan Baptist van Helmont was a chemist, physiologist and a physician from the Spanish Netherlands. He is known today for his ideas on spontaneous generation, and for his 5-year willow tree experiment.