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Studies of protoplasmic structure in spirogyra

I. Elasticity

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Summary

Filaments ofSpirogyra were centrifuged with different accelerations and with periods of time such that the chloroplasts would move the same distances when accelerations greater than 75.6 x gravity were used. It was found that the velocity of movement of the chloroplasts could be approximately calculated from the following equation:

$$V = k(c - c_o )$$

in whichV is the velocity,k is a constant,c is the centrifugal acceleration used, andc o is the initial starting acceleration.

The value ofc o is not the same for all species ofSpirogyra and likewise it is not the same for all of the filaments of one species. For a species ofSpirogyra with two chloroplasts in each cell the average value ofc o was approximately 75.6 x gravity. For another species which had one chloroplast in each cell the the average value of co was much higher.

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Literature cited

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Additional information

Contributions from the Department of Botany and the Rocky Mountain Herbarium of the University of Wyoming, no. 162.

The author takes pleasure in expressing his gratitude to Mr.Roy Keuhner who measured most of the cells.

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Northen, H.T. Studies of protoplasmic structure in spirogyra. Protoplasma 31, 1–8 (1938). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01633248

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01633248

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