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Carbon Dioxide Fixation in Marine Invertebrates: Quantitative Relations

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Abstract

Two main pathways of carbon dioxide fixation have been demonstrated in marine invertebrates, the carboxy-lation of propionate to form succinate in the oyster1, and the carboxylation of pyruvate to form malate in flat-worms2. The presence of enzyme systems capable of using carbon dioxide for synthetic purposes has been established in representatives of 14 phyla of animals3, and many micro-organisms4. Evidence continues to accumulate in support of the idea of Krebs5 that carbon dioxide is an essential compound in the metabolism of all cells. It has been stated often that if the citric acid cycle is to provide intermediates for biosynthetic reactions, fixation is necessary to replenish the supply of acids.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Adelphi College, Garden City, New York

    C. S. HAMMEN & SUSAN C. LUM

  2. Marine Research Laboratory, Noank, Connecticut

    C. S. HAMMEN & SUSAN C. LUM

Authors
  1. C. S. HAMMEN
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  2. SUSAN C. LUM
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HAMMEN, C., LUM, S. Carbon Dioxide Fixation in Marine Invertebrates: Quantitative Relations. Nature 201, 416–417 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1038/201416a0

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