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Tritiated thymidine incorporation as a measure of microbial activity in lake sediments
Author(s) -
Tobin Richard S.,
Anthony D. H. J.
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
limnology and oceanography
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.7
H-Index - 197
eISSN - 1939-5590
pISSN - 0024-3590
DOI - 10.4319/lo.1978.23.1.0161
Subject(s) - thymidine , sediment , sediment core , environmental chemistry , environmental science , measure (data warehouse) , geology , chemistry , dna , biochemistry , paleontology , database , computer science
Cell proliferation, determined by incorporation of tritiated thymidine into DNA, was used as a measure of microbial activity in lake sediments. Microbial activity in surface and sediment samples from Lake Erie was compared by this technique; activity was greatest in the surface 7 cm of core samples and geographically in a central basin core. The specificity, sensitivity, and low background inherent in the method make it suitable for routine estimates of microbial activity.