TEMPERATURE AND FORWARD MOVEMENT OF PARAMECIUM

Abstract

1. The rate of forward movement in Paramecium as affected by changes in temperature can be described accurately in terms of the Arrhenius equation.See PDF for Equation2. For the range from 6–15°, µ = 16,000; from 16–40°, µ = 8,000. These values fall within the limits characteristic for chemical processes.3. On the principle of velocity control by the slowest rate, it is assumed that in Paramecium at temperatures above normal, control passes from one underlying reaction to another.4. The views expressed by Rice, the recent results of Crozier, and certain µ values given by Arrhenius all suggest that µ = 16,000 may represent an oxidation, and µ = 8,000 either a modified oxidation or an hydrolysis.5. For the system of controls, the catenary series O → A → E with the lower µ value attached to the precursor reaction is adequate. We may also assume a cyclical system analogous to Meyerhof's conception of carbohydrate metabolism in muscle. In this case it is necessary to assign µ = 16,000 to the oxidation of A and E and µ = 8,000 to the synthesis E → O. This model also accounts for the fact that the data might be interpreted as involving, apparently, a depletion of A at the higher temperature.