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Abstract:
WHEN the uptake of vanadium by the tunicate Phallusia mamillata was investigated, it was observed1 that small (young) animals (< 20 g fresh weight) accumulated the metal far more intensively than adult ones. This gave rise to the question at which stage of their development the animals become capable of absorbing vanadium. Furthermore, an attempt was made to find out whether this phase coincides with the differentiation of the blood cells, because in Phallusia mamillata the vanadium is present almost exclusively within specific blood cells, that is, vanadocytes.