Abstract. Short-term absorption studies with 5-day-old excised barley roots revealed that the basic aspects of Mn absorption were similar to those of other metab-olically absorbed cations. Following an initial non-metabolic equilibration with the root, Mn was absorbed for several hours at a slower steady-state rate comparable to that of other inorganic cations. Complete or nearly complete inhibition of the steady-state phase by low temperature, dinitrophenol, and azide provides strong evidence that Mn transport into this tissue was metabolically mediated. Within limits, the rate of transport was strongly dependent upon the concentrations of Mn and the hydrogen ions in the ambient solution. Absorption increased rapidly with increasing concentrations of Mn up to 1 meq per liter. Above this concentration, the rate leveled off, apparently due to a saturation of the transport mechanism. Within the physiologioal pH range in which Mn is soluble (below pH 7), absorption increased greatly with decreasing hydrogen-ion concentration.Altho,ugh numerous investigations of ion uptake by excised root tissue have been conducted, relative:ly 1little attention has been given to Mn. In 1934, Laine (4) studied the absorption of Mn and other ions by decapitated roots of Phaseoluts multiflorus. Analyses of both the exudate and the roots revealed an accumu,lation and retention of Mn by the roots. Using slices of carrolt tissue, Stiles and Skelding (10) found that Mn uptake occurred in 29 distinct phases, a rapid initial uptake followed by a pro,longed slower absorption. This 2-step process, characteristic of the uptake of other cations, was in(terpreted as consi,sting of the usual nonmetabo,lic and metabolic phases, respectively. Su'bsequent experiments with red beet discs cionfirmed this interpretation (9). More recently, Page and Dainty (6) 'have reported -that the uptake of !Mn by excised oat rooits is nonmetabolic. Both the characteristic rapid initial uptake and the folllowing slower steadystate tuptake occturretd independentlly of metabolic .ac-tivity. 6.0 or greater, nylon bags containing analytical grade Bio-Rad AG1-X8 anion exchange resin in the OH-form were dipped into the solution (7). All salts used were chlorides of analyzed reagenit grade.At the end of the absorption periood, the roots were coillected on a nylon screen and washed by pouring 3 4liters of distilled water over them. After drying overnight at 700, the roots were digested in nitric and perchloric acids and diluited to 100 ml. 527 www.plantphysiol.org on May 11, 2018 -Published by Downloaded from