The Uptake of 65Zn By Dunaliella Tertiolecta Butcher

Abstract

A number of workers have studied the uptake of zinc by algae, but the mechanisms of uptake are not fully understood. Broda, Desser & Findennegg (1964) concluded that 65Zn uptake by Chlorella was a passive process since it was affected neither by metabolic inhibitors nor by anaerobic conditions. In later papers, however, Broda and co-workers (Matzku & Broda, 1970; Findennegg, Paschinger & Broda, 1971) have concluded that 65Zn uptake occurs both by a rapid passive process of ion-exchange and also by a slower, metabolically dependent process. Bachmann & Odum (1960) showed that65Zn uptake by Chaetomorpha was stimulated by light and they concluded that uptake was a metabolically active process. Gutknecht (1961,1963) showed that uptake of65Zn by Viva and Porphyra was stimulated by illumination and by increase in temperature. He also showed that increase in pH of the surrounding medium increased65Zn uptake and thus concluded that65Zn uptake was a passive process which was affected indirectly by metabolism.