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The effects of certain physical and chemical factors on locomotion and others life‐processes in Amoeba proteus
Author(s) -
Hopkins D. L.
Publication year - 1928
Publication title -
journal of morphology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.652
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1097-4687
pISSN - 0362-2525
DOI - 10.1002/jmor.1050450104
Subject(s) - amoeba proteus , osmotic pressure , amoeba (genus) , biology , hydrogen ion , biophysics , proteus , lactose , biochemistry , ion , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , organic chemistry , escherichia coli , gene
Amoeba proteus was raised in a modified and diluted Ringer solution. When the pH of this culture medium became less than 6.0, the normal activities of the amoebae were interfered with; and when a still lower pH was attained, the amoebae died off. The same was true when the pH became greater than 8.0. At neutrality the activities were subnormal, very dark, and rounded. The rate of locomotion of amoebae raised in solutions with a pH less than 7.0 showed a maximum rate of locomotion at pH 6.6, which decreased as the pH changed in either direction, dropping to a very low rate at pH 7.0 and above and also below 6.0. For amoebae raised at a pH above 7.0 the rate was maximum at pH 7.6 and decreased as the pH changed in either direction; it was low at pH 7.0 and below and also above 8.0. On increasing the external osmotic pressure of the medium it was found that the effects caused varied somewhat with the hydrogen‐ion concentration. Small increases in osmotic pressure decreased the rate from the normal at pH 6.0 and 8.0, increased it at pH 6.6 and 7.6, and did not affect it at pH 7.0. Osmotic pressures above that produced by M/20 lactose caused locomotion to cease in a short time at all pH values.