Polarographic oxygen electrodes and their use in plant aeration studies

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Abstract
The electrolytic reduction of oxygen which occurs at a wetted ‘unattackable’ cathodic electrode of platinum or gold when polarised in conjunction with a Ag/AgCl anode, forms the basis of most polarographic oxygen measurements in plant biological work.Various types of polarographic electrode and their uses are reviewed. These include cylindrical sleeving electrodes for quantifying localised oxygen fluxes from intact roots, ‘bare’, membrane-coated, and Clark-type microelectrodes suitable for measuring concentrations and profiles both inside roots and in the rhizosphere, and macro-Clark electrodes most frequently used in respiratory studies.Some details concerning equipment and electrode construction are given and some pitfalls in electrode application are discussed.