Different Light Wavelengths and Oxygen Production in C hlamydomonas reinhardtii

Abstract

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a green alga widely distributed in soil and freshwater systems that serves as a source of food and oxygen for salmon species. Our study examined the effect of different light wavelengths on C. reinhardtii oxygen production from photosynthetic activity. These different light wavelengths consisted of white light (control), red light, blue light, and green light that were shone on six vials of C. reinhardtii culture. It was predicted that white light would yield the highest concentration of oxygen while red light would produce the lowest concentration. These six vials were subjected to similar luminance and temperature conditions which were measured for oxygen concentration with a dissolved-oxygen probe connected to a TI-84 calculator. A one-way ANOVA test comparing oxygen production between different light treatment groups revealed there was a significant difference between the white light treatment group and the red, blue and green treatment groups. The test also revealed there was a significant difference between red and blue, red and green, and blue and green light oxygen production based on Tukey’s multiple comparison test. The highest oxygen production was measured from the green light treatment group, while the lowest oxygen production was found in the red light treatment group.