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Appl Environ Microbiol. 1965 July; 13(4): 546-551
Copyright © 1965 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Gas Exchange of Algae

I. Effects of Time, Light Intensity, and Spectral-Energy Distribution on the Photosynthetic Quotient of Chlorella pyrenoidosa

Research Laboratories, Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Palo Alto, California

ABSTRACT

Continuously growing cultures of Chlorella pyrenoidosa Starr 252, operating at constant density and under constant environmental conditions, produced uniform photosynthetic quotient (PQ = CO₂/O₂) and O₂ values during 6 months of observations. The PQ for the entire study was 0.90 ± 0.024. The PQ remained constant over a threefold light-intensity change and a threefold change in O₂ production (0.90 ± 0.019). At low light intensities, when the rate of respiration approached the rate of photosynthesis, the PQ became extremely variable. Six lamps of widely different spectral-energy distribution produced no significant change in the PQ (0.90 ± 0.025). Oxygen production was directly related to the number of quanta available, irrespective of spectral-energy distribution. Such dependability in producing uniform PQ and O₂ values warrants a consideration of algae to maintain a constant gas environment for submarine or spaceship use.