Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Surface/Volume ratio: implications for phytoplankton morphology.

W M Lewis

    Science (New York, N.Y.)
    |May 28, 1976
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Case of Morbid Enlargement of the Clitoris.

    The Medical and physical journal·2018
    Same author

    Energy sources for aquatic animals in the Orinoco River floodplain: evidence from stable isotopes.

    Oecologia·2017
    Same author

    Improvements in stream ammonia models by simultaneous computation of extremes in flow and water chemistry.

    Environmental science & technology·2011
    Same author

    Drosophila rab GDI mutants disrupt development but have normal Rab membrane extraction.

    Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000)·2001
    Same author

    A major food web component in the orinoco river channel: evidence from planktivorous electric fishes.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·1987
    Same author

    The cost of sex.

    Experientia. Supplementum·1987
    Same journal

    Erratum for the Research Article "Detecting supramolecular organic nanoparticles during heat wave".

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
    Same journal

    Local signals, systemic decline.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
    Same journal

    The mechanics of liver regeneration.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
    Same journal

    Computing in a memory with physics.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
    Same journal

    Retraction.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
    Same journal

    Making time.

    Science (New York, N.Y.)·2026
    See all related articles

    Phytoplankton shapes are not random. Their surface/volume ratios are conserved, suggesting specific adaptations for nutrient uptake and survival in tropical lake ecosystems.

    Area of Science:

    • Aquatic Ecology
    • Phytoplankton Biology
    • Biophysics

    Background:

    • Planktonic autotrophs, crucial primary producers, exhibit diverse morphologies.
    • Understanding phytoplankton shape-function relationships is key to aquatic ecosystem dynamics.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the conservation of surface/volume ratios across diverse phytoplankton species.
    • To explore the implications of conserved ratios for phytoplankton form and function.

    Main Methods:

    • Calculated surface/volume ratios for 27 coexisting phytoplankton species from a tropical lake.
    • Analyzed the distribution and range of these ratios.

    Main Results:

    • Phytoplankton surface/volume ratios were conserved within a significantly narrower range than predicted by random shape distributions.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • This conservation was observed across species of varying sizes and shapes.

    • Conclusions:

    • Phytoplankton shapes are constrained by functional requirements, particularly surface area for nutrient absorption.
    • Conserved surface/volume ratios offer novel insights into the evolutionary pressures shaping phytoplankton morphology.