Microbial Physiology Commons^™

The Affect Of Indole-3-Acetic Acid On The Fission Rate Of Paramecium Caudatum, Margherita L. Baker

Student Scholarship

This research report, authored by Margherita L. Baker in 1951, investigates the physiological effects of the plant growth hormone indole-3-acetic acid, also known as heteroauxin, on the fission rate of the protozoan Paramecium caudatum. The study is grounded in the hypothesis that if plant hormones can influence animal growth, it suggests a fundamental similarity in the growth mechanisms between the two kingdoms. The experimental procedure was divided into two distinct series to observe how varying environmental conditions and food availability influenced the hormonal impact. 

In the first series, paramecia were maintained in a nutrient-rich beef extract medium with an abundant …