THE KINETICS OF PENETRATION

Abstract

When 0.1 M NaI is added to the sea water surrounding Valonia iodide appears in the sap, presumably entering as NaI, KI, and HI. As the rate of entrance is not affected by changes in the external pH we conclude that the rate of entrance of HI is negligible in comparison with that of NaI, whose concentration is about 107 times that of HI (the entrance of KI may be neglected for reasons stated). This is in marked contrast with the behavior of sulfide which enters chiefly as H2S. It would seem that permeability to H2S is enormously greater than to Na2S. Similar considerations apply to CO2. In this respect the situation differs greatly from that found with iodide. NaI enters because its activity is greater outside than inside so that no energy need be supplied by the cell. The rate of entrance (i.e. the amount of iodide entering the sap in a given time) is proportional to the external concentration of iodide, or to the external product [N+]o [I-lo, after a certain external concentration of iodide has been reached. At lower concentrations the rate is relatively rapid. The reasons for this are discussed. The rate of passage of NaI through protoplasm is about a million times slower than through water. As the protoplasm is mostly water we may suppose that the delay is due chiefly to the non-aqueous protoplasmic surface layers. It would seem that these must be more than one molecule thick to bring this about. There is no great difference between the rate of entrance in the dark and in the light.