FURTHER EXPERIMENTS ON THE ABSORPTION OF IONS BY PLANTS, INCLUDING OBSERVATIONS ON THE EFFECT OF LIGHT

Abstract

1. The conditions of illumination were found to exert a very significant influence on absorption of ions from dilute solution by Nitella. These conditions were also found to influence the penetration of Br and NO3 into the cell sap. 2. It is concluded that absorption of ions by plants from dilute solutions involves energy exchanges, with light as the ultimate source of the energy. It is suggested that the absorption is intimately related to growth and metabolism. 3. One ion may affect the removal from solution or penetration into the cell sap of another ion present in the same solution, even in solutions of extremely low concentration. It is probable that all three types of relations may exist—anion to anion, cation to cation, and anion to cation. 4. The sulfate and phosphate ions exerted far less influence on the absorption of nitrate than did chlorine and bromine ions. It is suggested as a possibility that sulfate does not penetrate readily to those surfaces at which chlorine, bromine, nitrate, and other ions may become effective.