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Journal of Experimental Biology 64,615-627 (1976)
Published by Company of Biologists 1976

The Effect of Partial Pressures of Inert Gases on the Behaviour and Survival of the Heterotrich Ciliate Spirostomum Ambiguum

S. MACDONALD ¹ and J. A. KITCHING ¹

¹ School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England

A study has been made of the effects of helium, nitrogen and argon at partial pressures of 10–120 atm on the swimming speed, behaviour and survival of the heterotrich ciliate Spirostomum ambiguum. Experiments have also been carried out with hydrostatic pressure alone. Hydrostatic, helium and nitrogen pressures reduced the swimming speed approximately equally but pressure of argon reduced it to an even greater extent. Hydrostatic, helium, nitrogen and argon pressures caused a reduction in the number of reversals in a given time but the number of reversals/distance travelled did not change significantly. All the treatments increased the durations of individual forward movements. Pressures of helium, nitrogen and argon also increased the durations of reversals but at high hydrostatic pressures the durations of reversals were reduced.

Argon caused cytolysis at 30–40 atm and nitrogen at 80 atm; helium did not cause any visible cell damage over periods of 1 h at 120 atm. Addition of substantial partial pressures of helium protected Spirostomum against partial pressures of argon which would otherwise have caused cytolysis. The increase of hydrostatic pressure may have been responsible.