The Influence of Light on the Ion Fluxes and Electrical Potential of the Leaf Cells of the Moss,Hookeria lucens

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Abstract
This paper reports on work designed to measure the influxes of potassium and chloride in the leaves of the moss Hookeria lucens and to test the influence of lighting conditions upon them. Two methods of influx measurement were employed. The first yielded average influx values for both potassium and chloride while the second, which made use of a pumpless circulator, gave a potassium uptake versus time graph. The two methods of measuring potassium influxes gave consistent results. Removal of illumination reduced the influxes of both potassium and chloride and caused the electrical potential difference between the cell interior and the external medium to become more negative for a few minutes before returning to its original value. When a 7050 Å interference filter was placed between the leaves and the light source, the potassium influx dropped while the chloride influx appeared unaffected. Possible mechanisms for producing these flux changes are discussed.