Re: Effects of High K+

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: Re: Effects of High K+
From: "Marshall F. Wilkinson" <wilkinso at acs_ucalgary.ca>
Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 12:16:49 MST
In-Reply-To: <199701250839.DAA24776 at looney_actwin.com>; from "Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com" at Jan 25, 1997 3:39 am

Steve:
Best of luck on your substrate draft. As to your question about
the effects of K in water and substrate. Assuming that ion
transport in plants obeys the same laws as in animal cells the
effects of accumulating K will be to depolarize the cell
membranes. The potential difference (in mV) across the membrane
provides the energy gradient for the transport of ions in and out
of cells. So when external K gets high (> 10mM) membrane
transport should be effected. In fish high potassium will cause
their muscles to work poorly and with increasing concentrations
eventually death. I could be way off here assuming the
predominate membrane potential producing ion in plants is K, it
certainly is in animals.
Any hardcore botanists out there that can educate me (us)?

Marshall Wilkinson

Calgary Alberta (...it's way too cold when it's -25C!)