STUDIES ON THE SUPPLY OF OXYGEN TO THE ROOTS OF MUSTARD SEEDLINGS (SINAPIS ALBA L.)

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Abstract
Summary: Most of the requirements of roots for oxygen were met by oxygen from the air entering the leaves and travelling through the plants to the roots in oxygen‐free media. The amount of oxygen supplied in this way decreased proportionately with rise in oxygen partial pressure at the root surface. Although roots offered a considerable barrier to the passage of oxygen out of them, experiments in which transport from the aerial parts was prevented indicated that the roots could obtain almost all the oxygen they required from the surrounding media provided the oxygen partial pressure at the root surface exceeded the low value of 0.05 atmospheres.These results were obtained by means of a new experimental technique which enabled the effect of oxygen partial pressure at the root surfaces on oxygen uptake and root elongation to be studied. It was based on circulating a small volume of nutrient solution around roots in a gas‐free enclosed system sufficiently rapidly for the partial pressure in the solution to be almost the same as at the root surfaces.

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