Maximum carbon isotope fractionation in photosynthesis by blue-green algae and a green alga

Abstract

The maximum carbon isotope fractionation occurring in photosynthetic fixation of carbon dioxide in pure cultures of blue-green algae was −23.9%. and for a green alga was −22.6%., Maximum fractionations were obtained where cell densities were low and carbon dioxide concentrations were greater than 0.5%. Fractionation was reduced at higher temperatures using a thermophilic blue-green alga. For filamentous blue-green algae wherein clumping occurs and localized cell concentrations were high, fractionation was also lower. Fractionations reported in literature for Precambrian organic materials are comparable to the maximum fractionations reported here. This suggests that the early photosynthetic organisms developed under conditions of high carbon dioxide availability, i.e. slow growth rates and/or low population densities.