THE INFLUENCE OF AMMONIUM SALTS ON CELL REACTION

Abstract

1. It may be shown by means of cells of the flowers of a hybrid Rhododendron which contain a natural indicator, by means of starfish eggs stained with neutral red, and by means of an "artificial cell" in which living frog's skin is employed that increased intracellular alkalinity may be brought about by solutions of a decidedly acid reaction which contain ammonium salts. 2. These results are analogous to those previously obtained with the CO2-bicarbonate system, and depend on the facts: (a) that NH4OH is sufficiently weak as a base to permit a certain degree of hydrolysis of its salts; and (b) that living cells are freely permeable to NH4OH (or NH3?) and not to mineral and many organic acids, and presumably not at least to the same extent to ammonium salts as such.