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

Abstract

Summary

1. Concentrations of KCN from 10⁻⁷M and higher cause inhibition of growth in Pelomyxa carolinensis. 2. In solutions containing 10⁻⁹M KCN there is on the average approximately a 50% increase in growth in “young” Pelomyxa and a 17% increase in “old” Pelomyxa. 3. These effects are not caused by increase or decrease in potassium concentration. Potassium, alone, has very little effect, if any, in very low concentration. 4. Concentrations of KCN from 10⁻⁹M and higher cause inhibition of respiration in Pelomyxa. 5. In solutions containing 10⁻¹¹M KCN, there is an approximate 32 and 50% increase in rate of respiration in “young” and “old” pelomyxae respectively, as compared to controls without cyanide.