The Uptake of Phosphate Ions by the Alga Hydrodictyon reticulatum

Abstract

Suntinary:The uptake of orthophosphate has been studied in order t o determine the chemical forms of intracellular phosphorus. It was found that the concentration of the main species-orthophosphate and acid hydrolyzable phosphorus-changed in dependence on experimental conditions. The highest uptake of orthophosphate was obselved in the neutral medium in the presence of nitrate or ammonium ions in the light, whereas the uptake in the dark was negligible. The uptake of orthophosphate was found t o be connected with the transport of alkali metals or ammonium ions into the cell. The rate of the uptake of orthophosphate was compared with that of nitrite, nitrate and ammonium ions.