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Physical and chemical basis of carbon isotope fractionation in plants
Author(s) -
O'LEARY M. H.,
MADHAVAN S.,
PANETH P.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
plant, cell and environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.646
H-Index - 200
eISSN - 1365-3040
pISSN - 0140-7791
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3040.1992.tb01660.x
Subject(s) - isotopes of carbon , carbon fibers , environmental chemistry , stable isotope ratio , photosynthesis , chemistry , ecology , environmental science , biology , total organic carbon , physics , materials science , nuclear physics , composite number , composite material , biochemistry
Naturally‐occurring variations in the abundances of the stable isotopes of carbon and other elements can be used to understand the dynamics of natural processes in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, medicine, ecology and other fields. The use of carbon‐13 isotopic abundances as an indicator of photosynthetic function in plants has become common. The purpose of this article is to describe the physical and chemical processes that contribute to the abundances of carbon‐13 in plant materials, and to provide a framework for understanding how those processes control the isotopic contents of natural materials.