spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif spacer gif
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


spacer gif
     Home     Help     Feedback     Subscriptions     Archive     Search     Table of Contents    

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Butler, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Day, N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Butler, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Day, N.

Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol 177, Issue 1 293-297, Copyright © 1993 by Company of Biologists

JOURNAL ARTICLES

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTRACELLULAR pH AND SEASONAL TEMPERATURE IN THE BROWN TROUT SALMO TRUTTA

P. J. Butler and N. Day

Early studies on reptiles demonstrated that plasma pH increases as body temperature falls (Robin, 1962). Rahn (1967) proposed that plasma pH in all poikilothermic vertebrates is regulated as body temperature changes so as to maintain a constant relative alkalinity, i.e. a constant [OH-]/[H+] ratio, and Reeves (1972) suggested a way in which this could be achieved. Known as the 'imidazole alphastat hypothesis', it postulates that PCO2 is regulated (by way of ventilation) so that the fractional dissociation (alpha) of the imidazole moiety of histidine is kept constant. As the pK' of imidazole changes with temperature in about the same manner as the neutral pH of water (Heisler, 1986), the alphastat hypothesis is consistent with that of constant relative alkalinity.




© The Company of Biologists Ltd 1993