Abstract
Upon activation, an internal hydrostatic pressure develops within the Fundulus egg, and compresses the egg proper to a reduced volume. When the perivitelline pressure is abolished by a highly hypertonic sucrose solution, the egg volume increases. As sucrose penetrates the chorion, the volume again decreases. The relation between P and V in these conditions is inverse, and approximates a rectangular hyperbola. The limiting factor causing most of the deviation is shown to be the incompressible fraction. It is concluded that the volume of the egg proper is controlled by the perivitelline pressure, and that the effect of hypertonic sucrose solution is exerted by lowering the pressure and thereby increasing membrane permeability non-specifically. It is also shown that some permanent alterations occur within the plasma membrane during activation that reduce the permeance, and thereby, increase the incompressible fraction.
Full Text
The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (857.9 KB).
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- KAO C. Y., CHAMBERS R., CHAMBERS E. L. Internal hydrostatic pressure of the Fundulus egg. II. Permeability of the chorion. J Cell Physiol. 1954 Dec;44(3):447–461. doi: 10.1002/jcp.1030440307. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- KAO C. Y. Changing electrical constants of the Fundulus egg plasma membrane. J Gen Physiol. 1956 Sep 20;40(1):107–119. doi: 10.1085/jgp.40.1.107. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Loeb J. ANTAGONISTIC ACTION OF ELECTROLYTES AND PERMEABILITY OF THE CELL MEMBRANE. Science. 1912 Nov 8;36(932):637–639. doi: 10.1126/science.36.932.637-a. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- PRESCOTT D. M., ZEUTHEN E. Comparison of water diffusion and water filtration across cell surfaces. Acta Physiol Scand. 1953 Mar 31;28(1):77–94. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1953.tb00960.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]