Abstract
An equation has been developed incorporating whole-cell rate constants for CO2 and HCO3- that describes accurately photosynthesis (Phs) in suspensions of unicellular algae at low dissolved inorganic carbon. At pH 8.0 the concentration of CO2 available to the algal cells depends on the rate of supply from, and the loss to, HCO3- and the rate of use by the cells. At elevated cell densities (>30 mg chlorophyll [Chl] L-1), at which CO2 use by the cells is high, the slope of a graph of absolute Phs versus Chl concentration approaches the rate of Phs on a milligram of Chl basis because of HCO3- use alone. The slope of a graph of Phs versus HCO3- will be the rate constant for HCO3-, and for Chlorella saccharophila it was 0.16 L mg-1 Chl h-1. The difference between the constants for dissolved inorganic carbon (measured in cells with external carbonic anhydrase) and HCO3-1 is the constant for CO2, which was 26 L mg-1 Chl h-1. This difference causes the half-saturation constant for Phs to increase 5- to 6-fold at high cell densities. The increase in CO2 use as a result of external carbonic anhydrase is described mathematically as a function of cell density.