Dissertations and Theses @ UNI
Availability
Open Access Thesis
Keywords
Plant cuticle; Plants--Effect of acid precipitation on;
Abstract
In order for acid precipitation to directly damage terrestrial plants, it must pass through the cuticle. The mechanism by which protons permeate the cuticle is not well understood. Investigation of this mechanism was the focus of this study. The permeability to protons of sulfuric and nitric acids was determined for isolated leaf cuticles of lemon and pear. The value of proton permeability depended upon the acid used. Protons from nitric acid were significantly less permeable then protons from sulfuric acid. A second finding was that permeability of protons with sulfuric was initially low but increased significantly during a testing. The initial low permeability could be restored in both lemon and pear when retested following certain treatments. A third finding was that permeability to protons of sulfuric acid could be significantly reduced if 10 mM CaC12 was placed on the inside of the cuticle. Based on these results, it is proposed that protons permeate the cuticle by passing through negatively charged channels in the cutin layer of the cuticle, and that the molecules lining these channels become progressively undissociated upon exposure to sulfuric acid. The time required for a significant number of protons to permeate the cuticle was long, usually days. From this fact, combined with the results on nitric acid proton permeability and the calcium effects on permeability, I conclude that the cuticle is usually an effective barrier to acid precipitation.
Year of Submission
1988
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Department of Biology
First Advisor
Virginia Seymour Berg
Second Advisor
Alan R. Orr
Third Advisor
Orlando Schwartz
Date Original
1988
Object Description
1 PDF file (67 leaves)
Copyright
©1988 Hugh David Hauser
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Hauser, Hugh David, "Permeability of Isolated Leaf Cuticles of Lemon and Pear to Acids" (1988). Dissertations and Theses @ UNI. 2895.
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/etd/2895
Comments
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