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CALCIFICATION AND CATION SORPTION OF CLADOPHOHA GLOMERATA (CHLOROPHYTA) 1, 2
Author(s) -
Sikes C. Steven
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.1529-8817.1978.tb00306.x
Subject(s) - biology , pectin , chlorophyta , bicarbonate , sorption , botany , saturation (graph theory) , ruthenium red , calcium carbonate , photosynthesis , nuclear chemistry , calcium , biophysics , biochemistry , algae , adsorption , chemistry , mathematics , organic chemistry , combinatorics , endocrinology
Clacium sorption by Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kutz grown in continuous‐flow culture increased substantially as the alga aged (12.3–160 mg Calg dry wt). This reflected increased pectin layered in thickening cell walls followed by deposition of CaCO 3 around cells. The high levels of pectin (up to 23% of dry wt) may account for the plant's reported high affinity for cations. The onset of carbonate deposition coincided with the appearance of carbonabic anhydrase activity in cells. This suggests that carbonate deposition mey be a funtion of bicarbonate use as a source of CO 2 for photosynthesis. Calcium uptake appears to occur by active transport in that it exhibited saturation kinetics, occurred against a concentration gradient, depended on light, and was nearly abolished by treatments that allow diffusion. Although strontium competed for Ca for binding sites of pectin, it did not inhibit intermal transport of Ca. Consequently, the proposed carrier may be specific for Ca.