Heavy metal sequestration by a representative group of biological organisms: A study in their compartmentalization.
Item
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Title
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Heavy metal sequestration by a representative group of biological organisms: A study in their compartmentalization.
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Identifier
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AAI3187466
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identifier
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3187466
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Creator
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Goldberg, Jacob Joseph.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Thomas E. Jensen
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Date
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2005
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Biology, Microbiology | Biology, Cell | Biology, Botany
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Abstract
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The ability of cells to take up metal and to bioconcentrate them in different inclusions/organelles including their capsule, cell wall, cytoplasm, and polyphosphate bodies was tested. Nine prokaryotic species and two eukaryotic species were used. Among the prokaryotic type of species were cyanobacteria, gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, and yeast. The cyanobacteria were Plectonema boryanum, Synechococcus leopoliensis and Gloeocapsa alpicola , three-gram positive bacteria Bacillus subtilus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Arthrobacter globiformis, three-gram negative bacteria, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Escherichia coli, two eukaryotic species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Rhodotorula rubra. All organisms contain polyphosphate bodies under the right conditions. The cyanobacteria were grown in Modified Fitzgerald's Media and, the gram positive and gram negative bacteria were grown in nutrient broth and the yeast cells were grown in Difco-Bacto Sabouraud broth. The cells were exposed to seven different metals, Al, Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Exposure was done at the same concentrations of 20ppm for two hours, then the cells were embedded in Epon according to Luft's procedure. The cells were analyzed using the STEM mode of a transmission electron microscope in conjunction with a PGT IMIX EDX. The results were then analyzed using quantitative analysis program. Analysis was done on the capsule, cell wall, cytoplasm, and polyphosphate bodies. Approximately 20 cells were analyzed for each heavy metal exposure. The averages of the elements present were calculated. Analysis of the four different parts of the cell revealed that in cells exposed to all the metals with an exception of Cd, the metal will bioconcentrate mainly in the PPBs. The data converted into real numbers using the shape of the organisms and one of these formulas for a cylindrically shaped organism "pi x radius2 x height", for spherically shaped the formula "(4/3) x pi x radius 3". Giving us mu/cm3 these data indicate that different cell components in the test species sequester metals differentially, and the different metals are also sequestered in the different cell components differentially.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
