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A study of electrical potential differences and diffusion of electrolyte in plant tissue.

thesis
posted on 2023-05-26, 19:35 authored by Hope, Alexander Beaumont
Among the outstanding unsolved problems of biology is that of organization of plant tissue, for example, in the growth of a meristematic mass of cells to a fully differentiated and functional organ. As the concept of \biological f'ield\" seems to have analogies with that of \"electrical field\" and moreover as the latter has obvious possible organizing abilities (transport of matter electrolytically etc.) it was felt that an investigation of the function of the electric fields in living plant material might give a lead to the broader problem of organization. While some interesting results on the distribution of electromotive forces in and near apical meristems vere obtained it was thought that the detailed interpretation of these would depend on knowledge of the origin of the biolelectric phenomenon. The research in this way became related to several other general problems in plant physiology. Certain root potential differences (p.d.'s) have been f'ound to be connected with tho absorption of electrolyte by cells and some of the electrical techniques developed in the laboratory have been applied to the problem of diffusion of salt across root cytoplasm. The question of the resistance or the cell surface to diffusion of electrolyte has been considered in this connection. The research is also related to the study of the submicroscopic morphology of cytoplasm as salt uptake is affected by the presence or otherwise of non-diffuseable ions in the cytoplasm."

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Copyright 1953 the Author - The University is continuing to endeavour to trace the copyright owner(s) and in the meantime this item has been reproduced here in good faith. We would be pleased to hear from the copyright owner(s). Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Tasmania, 1953

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