Ion Absorption in Atriplex Leaf Tissue I. Absorption by Mesophyll Cells

Abstract

Leaf tissue cut into disks was unsuitable for quantitative ion-absorption studies because cells in the interior did not equilibrate with the external solution. Ion entry was restricted to the cut surface and diffusion was too slow to permit equilibration of the whole disk (apparent diffusion coefficient for sodium at O· 5°C was 1 X IO-L 3 X 10-7 cm2 sec-I). However, leaf slices 0·5 mm in width permitted rapid access of electrolyte to all cells and were used to study uptake of monovalent cations and oxalate