Note on the mathematical theory of oxygen consumption at low oxygen pressures

Summary

A mathematical analysis of the diffusion of oxygen into a cell is made, under the assumption, that the true rate of consumption of oxygen by protoplasm is constant and independent on the oxygen pressure. The results are compared with experimental data. For unfertilizedArbacia eggs and for bacteria the experimental curves cannot be represented by the theory. Some additional assumptions, like those proposed byGerard, seem unavoidable. For fertilizedArbacia eggs a good agreement may however be obtained, by taking for the diffusion coefficient of oxygen trough the protoplasm 7×10⁻⁷ cm²·min⁻¹, and for the permeability of the cell surface to oxygen 4.25×10⁻⁴cm·min⁻¹.