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Determination of the surface area of fine tomato roots via cation uptake experiments
Author(s) -
Wolterbeek H. T.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
physiologia plantarum
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.351
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1399-3054
pISSN - 0031-9317
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-3054.1987.tb01988.x
Subject(s) - lycopersicon , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , diffusion , absorption (acoustics) , ion , surface (topology) , botany , chromatography , materials science , mathematics , thermodynamics , geometry , physics , biology , organic chemistry , composite material
A method is described by which the surface area of a root is estimated from cation uptake data. 24 Na + was supplied to excised roots of tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, cv. Tiny Tim) seedlings at 3 μ M in unstirred solution. Coarse roots, for which external surface area and specific gravity could be measured accurately, were used to estimate the thickness (d N ) of the Nernst boundary layer at the root surface. 24 Na + uptake (J 1 ) was measured by γ‐ray spectroscopy. J t and d N were used to calculate the total surface area for ion absorption in fine roots, assuming that Na uptake rate was diffusion‐limited. The results were compared to data obtained by conventional methods and indicated the usefulness of the cation uptake technique for quantitative estimates of root surfaces.