Algae: Nitrogen Fixation by Antarctic Species

Algae from terrestrial and fresh-water habitats in Antarctica were examined for ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Nostoc commune was the only species capable of growing in nitrogen-free medium; nitrogen fixation by this species was verified by assimilation of N 15 . The importance of nitrogen-fix...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science
Main Author: Holm-Hansen, Osmund
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 1963
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.139.3559.1059
https://www.science.org/doi/pdf/10.1126/science.139.3559.1059
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Summary:Algae from terrestrial and fresh-water habitats in Antarctica were examined for ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Nostoc commune was the only species capable of growing in nitrogen-free medium; nitrogen fixation by this species was verified by assimilation of N 15 . The importance of nitrogen-fixing algae to terrestrial life in the Antarctic is discussed.