Reduction of Acetylene to Ethylene by Soybean Root Nodules

Abstract

B)y ise of the l->\ technique it has Leen firmly established (1) that excisedl soybean nodilles fix atmospheric nitrogen for a perio(d of about 2 houirs. The rate of fixation is greatly re(lice(I in sliced nodiules, and(fixation is virtiually lost when no(diiles are cruishedl (2). -More recently, Bergerson (3) has investigated the effects of partial pressiures of oxygen ol N. fixationl in excise(l soyl)ean no(diules aind has devise(d a metho(d (4) for the demonstration of N., fixationi in Lreis of no(dtiles. In this pro-cedilre it was necessary to excilude all traces of oxygein while no(diules wxere crtushedI in a press, hut oxygen was aan essential componeint for N., fixation in reactioin mixtuires containlilng no(lIile lreis. No