The Growth Kinetics ofIsochrysis Galbanain Cultures Containing Sublethal Concentrations Of Mercuric Chloride

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that the specific growth rates of phytoplankton are hyperbolically related to the intracellular concentrations of rate-determining nutrients by expressions of the Michaelis-Menten type used in the study of enzyme reaction kinetics (see, for example, Caperon, 1968; Droop, 1968; Davies, 1970; Paasche, 1973). This has led us to inquire whether there might also be relationships, analogous to those which describe the effect of inhibitors upon the rates of enzyme reactions (Dixon & Webb, 1958) which can be applied to the growth of phytoplankton in the presence of sublethal levels of toxic substances.