Effects of Low Concentration of Cyanide on Growth and Respiration in Pelomyxa carolinensis-Wilson

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Abstract
P. carolinensis was grown in sealed culture soln. containing 10-7, 10-9, and 10-11 M.KCN for 7 days. In 10-7 [image]_and higher, growth was inhibited, but in 10-9 the rate of growth was accelerated by 49.3%. The acceleration was slightly greater with "young" cells. Equimolar concn. of KC1 had no significant effect. Acceleration of O2 uptake in low KCN concn. was shown by employing the Warburg microrespirometer and specially balanced KOH-KCN mixtures for CO2 absorption (Krebs). In 10-9 [image] soln. the rate of O2 uptake was accelerated by 6.5% and in 10-11 [image], by 32.7 and 49.3% for "young" and "old" cells, respectively. A possible explanation is presented.