Influence of monovalent cations on the growth ofHydra littoralis

✍ Scribed by Lenhoff, Howard M.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1966
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 499 KB
• Volume: 163
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0022-104X
• DOI: 10.1002/jez.1401630205

✦ Synopsis

Li+, C s + , Rb+, and K+ inhibit the clonal growth rate of Hydra littoralis and, depending upon conditions, can be toxic to the animals. These effects are counteracted by increasing the concentration of Na+ in the environment. In contrast to its inhibitory effect, K+, when in the presence of high concentrations of Na+, increases the growth rate of hydra significantly. Choline and histidine also increase the growth rate, but to a lesser extent. Various combinations of the monovalent ions lead to specific structural and behavioral changes in the animals. LITERATURE CITED Fulton, C. 1962 Environmental factors affecting growth of Cordylophora. J. Exp. Zool., Ham, R. G., D. C. Etzgerald and R. Eakin 1956 Effects of lithium ion on regeneration of hydra in a chemically defined environment. J. Exp. Lenhoff, H. M. 1965 Some physicochemical aspects of the macro-and microenvironments surrounding hydra during activation of their feeding behavior. Amer. Zoologist, 5: 515-524. -1966 Chemical perspectives on the feeding response, digestion and nutrition of selected coelenterates. In: Chemical Zool~gy, Vol. I., B. Scheer and M. Florkin (Eds.), Academic Press, N. Y. (in press). Lenhoff, H. M., and J. Bovaird 1960 The requirement of trace amounts of environmental