A METHOD FOR DETERMINING THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF A SINGLE CELL

1. A method for measuring the O₂ consumption of a single cell is described. The cell is placed in a capillary tube adjacent to a bubble of air. KOH (5 per cent) is drawn in on the opposite side of the air and both ends of the tube are sealed with mineral oil. The decrease in the volume of the gas, representing the O₂ consumed, is followed. 2. The possible errors of the technique are appraised. 3. A single Actinosphaerium eichhornii consumes 0.00113 mm.³ of O₂ per hour. A single Paramecium caudatum consumes 0.00049 mm.³ of O₂ per hour. 4. The significance of the results and the limitations of the method are discussed.     

METHODS OF STUDYING THE RESPIRATORY EXCHANGE IN SMALL AQUATIC ORGANISMS,WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO THE USE OF FLAGELLATES AS AN INDICATOR FOR OXYGEN CONSUMPTION

1. Flagellates are positively chemotactic to a certain concentration of dissolved oxygen which is lower than that in water saturated with oxygen under atmospheric partial pressure. Consequently, when a small aquatic animal is held motionless between cover-slip and slide in a suspension of flagellates in water saturated with oxygen, the flagellates are attracted to those parts of the animal which are absorbing oxygen. The relative sizes of the flagellate aggregations then show the relative activities of the different surfaces of the animal in absorbing oxygen. 2. Applying this method to the red Chironomus larva it was found that the animal respires by the whole body surface except by the head and the "ventral gills" and that the relative intensity of oxygen intake by the different parts of the body varies in different individuals and in the same individual at different times. 3. The absence of oxygen intake by the "ventral gills" was confirmed with the microspectroscope. In oxygen-free water all the hemoglobin of the blood becomes reduced. When an air bubble is now introduced so that it touches the "ventral gills" oxyhemoglobin first appears in the nearest body segment to the bubble, not in the "gills." 4. When a small aquatic animal is held motionless between cover-slip and slide in a solution of an indicator which changes color about the neutral point of water the relative extent of color change at different surfaces of the animal''s body indicates the relative amounts of carbon dioxide given off by these surfaces. 5. Using this method with the red Chironomus larva similar conclusions were reached for carbon dioxide output as for oxygen intake.     

THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF LUMINOUS BACTERIA

Oxygen consumption of luminous bacteria determined by the Thunberg micro respirometer and by the time which elapses before the luminescence of an emulsion of luminous bacteria in sea water begins to dim, when over 99 per cent of the dissolved oxygen has been consumed, agree exactly. Average values for oxygen consumption at an average temperature of 21.5°C. are 4.26 x 10^–11 mg. O₂ per bacterium; 2.5 x 10⁴ mg. per kilo and 5.6 mg. O₂ per sq. m. of bacterial surface. The only correct comparison of the oxygen consumption of different organisms or tissues is in terms of oxygen used per unit weight with a sufficient oxygen tension so that oxygen consumption is independent of oxygen tension. Measurement of the oxygen concentration which just allows full luminescence, compared with a calculation of the oxygen concentration at the surface of a bacterial cell just necessary to allow the observed respiration throughout all parts of the cell, indicates that oxygen must diffuse into the bacterium much more slowly than through gelatin or connective tissue but not as slowly as through chitin.     

THE RESPIRATION OF LUMINOUS BACTERIA AND THE EFFECT OF OXYGEN TENSION UPON OXYGEN CONSUMPTION

1. The respiration of luminous bacteria has been studied by colorimetric and manometric methods. 2. Limulus oxyhaemocyanin has been used as a colorimetric indicator of oxygen consumption and indicator dyes were used for colorimetric determination of carbon dioxide production. 3. The Thunberg-Winterstein microrespirometer has been used for the measurement of the rate of oxygen consumption by luminous bacteria at different partial pressures of oxygen. 4. The effect of oxygen concentration upon oxygen consumption has been followed from equilibrium with air to low pressures of oxygen. 5. Luminous bacteria consume oxygen and produce carbon dioxide independent of oxygen pressures from equilibrium with air (152 mm.) to approximately 22.80 mm. oxygen or 0.03 atmosphere. 6. Dimming of a suspension of luminous bacteria occurs when oxygen tension is lowered to approximately 2 mm. Hg (0.0026 atmosphere) and when the rate of respiration becomes diminished one-half. 7. Pure nitrogen stops respiratory activity and pure oxygen irreversibly inhibits oxygen consumption. 8. The curve for rate of oxygen consumption with oxygen concentration is similar to curves for adsorption of gasses at catalytic surfaces, and agrees with the Langmuir equation for the expression of the amount of gas adsorbed in unimolecular layer at catalytic surfaces with gas pressure. 9. A constant and maximum rate of oxygen consumption occurs in small cells when oxygen concentration becomes sufficient to entirely saturate the surface of the oxidative catalyst of the cell.     

THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF FROG NERVE DURING STIMULATION

1. The resting rate of oxygen consumption of the excised sciatic nerve of the frog is 1.23 c.mm. of oxygen per gm. of nerve per minute. 2. During stimulation with an induction coil with 100 make and 100 break shocks per second there is an excess oxygen consumption amounting on the average to 0.32 c.mm. of oxygen per gm. of nerve per minute of stimulation, or a 26 per cent increase over the resting rate. 3. The magnitude of the excess oxygen consumption in stimulation, in agreement with the all-or-none law, is not markedly influenced by considerable variations in the intensity of stimulation. 4. Increasing the frequency of stimulation from 100 to 200 shocks per second increases the extra oxygen used only 1.12–1.18 times. The same change in frequency of stimulation increases the negative variation 1.15 times and the heat production about 1.25 times (Hill). 5. This parallelism between the excess oxygen and the negative variation argues definitely for some causal connection between the excess oxygen and the nerve impulse itself. 6. Calculation shows that the oxygen tension inside these nerves was not zero.     

钉螺的耗氧量及杀螺药对它的影响

应用氧电极技术测定了正常钉螺和受药物作用钉螺的耗氧量。结果表明不同地区、不同温度环境、不同性别、野外收集、人工饲养及感染毛蚴的钉螺的耗氧都不同;已知九种有效杀螺药都有抑制钉螺耗氧的作用而十三种无杀螺效果的化合物则不影响钉螺的耗氧;氯化镉有抑制钉螺呼吸的作用,亦呈现杀死钉螺的作用。     

CRITICAL THERMAL INCREMENTS FOR OXYGEN CONSUMPTION OF AN INSECT,DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

The critical thermal increments are calculated for oxygen consumption in the pupae of the "wild type" fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, and are found to be of two types: µ = 11,500 and 16,800; above 15°C. the first value is obtained, the second, below this temperature.     

THE EFFECT OF INDUCED HYPOTHERMIA UPON OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN THE RAT BRAIN

The effect of hypothermia upon cerebral metabolic rate for oxygen (CMR_O2) was studied in artificially ventilated rats, anaesthetized with nitrous oxide. Cerebral blood flow was measured with a modification of the Kety and Schmidt technique using ¹³³xenon. CMR_O2, was found to decrease linearily with temperature in the temperature range 37°C-22°C. At normal temperatures CMR_O2, fell by about 5 per cent per degree C. At a body temperature of 22°C both cerebral blood flow and CMR_O2, were reduced to about 25 per cent of normal.     

鳜鱼的耗氧率及其池塘养殖

本文较详细地报道了鳜鱼的耗氧率和窒息点,并对鳜鱼和作其饲料的鱼同池饲养的可能性进行了探讨。结果表明,鳜鱼耗氧量和体重正相关（ｒ＝０．９９）,耗氧率与体重反相关（ｒ＝－０．９７）;在水温２０℃,鱼种耗氧率约为０．１４ｍｇ／ｇ．ｈ．,成鱼约为０．１２ｍｇ／ｇ．ｈ．;耗氧量和耗氧率均与水温正相关（ｒ＝０．９０,ｒ＝０．９４）,水温１３—３０℃时,体重２３０±１１．７ｇ的鳜鱼。耗氧量为１４．３１—４２．１３ｍｇ／尾。ｈ．,耗氧率为０．０５９—０．１７５ｍｇ／ｇ．ｈ．;鳜鱼耗氧率昼夜变化与家鱼相反,黄昏至凌晨是高峰期,为０．１２—０．１５ｍｇ／ｇ．ｈ．（Ｔ＝２０℃）,白天是低谷期,为０．０７—０．１０ｍｇ／ｇ．ｈ;;鳜鱼的窒息点与家鱼类较接近,变化范围为０．４５—０．７６ｍｇ／Ｌ;鳜鱼和作其饲料的鱼在同一池塘中饲养,既可持续不断地提供鳜鱼充足的适口饵料,又简单易行,成本低,效益高,有较大的价值。     

FERTILIZATION AND THE TEMPERATURE COEFFICIENTS OF OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN EGGS OF ARBACIA PUNCTULATA

The eggs of A. punctulata have a high temperature coefficient in the resting state: Q ₁₀ = 4.1. On fertilization and on cytolysis the temperature coefficient falls to less than half the resting value: Q ₁₀ = 1.8 and 1.9 respectively. The factor by which oxygen consumption increases on fertilization is a variable, its magnitude depending on temperature as well as on egg species. It is nearly ten times greater at 11°C. and only double at 29.9°C. By extrapolating to 32°C. there would be no increase on fertilization. Critical thermal increments common to many oxidations, 6,500, 10,800, and 12,500, have been found. The possible significance of these results is discussed in relation to the catalytic mechanisms and structural organization of the egg cell.     

聚群与环境温度对黄毛鼠耗氧量的影响

黄毛鼠(Rattus losea)是我国长江以南分布极广的一种农林业重要害兽,也是南方恙虫病立克次体及钩端螺旋体的主要贮存宿主之一。林浩然等(1961)对黄毛鼠的某些生态研究中发现,该鼠在广东地区,秋冬季常有数只成鼠(6—7)同穴群居习性。1979—1980年,我们在浙江北部对黄毛鼠的生态作四季调查时,也发现此鼠于冬季有集群现象。但由于对黄毛鼠的生理生态还研究得很少,例如环境温度对黄毛鼠的影响怎样?聚群有何生理生态学方面的意义?因此本文试图着重探讨一下聚群与环境温度对黄毛鼠的能量代谢影响。