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The World of Protozoa, Rotifera, Nematoda and Oligochaeta

Ref ID : 6884

Michael A. Gates, Andrew Rogerson, and Jacques Berger; Dry to Wet Weight Biomass Conversion Constant for Tetrahymena elliotti (Ciliophora, Protozoa). Oecologia 55:145-148, 1982

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The wet and dry weights of both axenic and monoxenic cultures of the ciliate Tetrahymena were determined directly. These estimates are dependent upon the method of volume determination. Assuming a prolate spheroidal shape for the ciliate, we calculate a mean wet weight of 0.4157+/-0.0713 pg um-3 and a mean dry weight of 0.2793+/-0.0652 pg um-3. Using electronic cell sizing, our estimates are 0.7869+/-0.1659 pg um-3 and 0.5239+/-0.1101 pg um-3, respectively. Independent of the method of volume determination, we estimate a mean biomass conversion ratio (dry weight/wet weight) of 0.59+/-0.08.