The utiquity and many roles of exopolymers (EPS) in aquatic systems |
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Roger S. Wotton |
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Exopolymers (EPS) are produced by unicellular and multicellular organisms. They consist largely of polysaccharides that hydrate rapidly on contact with water and link to form gels. EPS have many uses: in attachment; in locomotion on substrata; as a protection against predators, pathogens and changes in physico-chemical conditions; as a means of overcoming the threat of desiccation; in preventing abrasion; and in feeding. When free of organisms, some EPS form loosely associated polymer gels that are important in the development of organic matter aggregates. These aggregates, together with mucus-bound faecal pellets, play an essential role in nutrient cycling, and in the metabolism of ecosystems.; |
Keywords: EPS, exopolymers, mucus, unicellular organisms, multicellular organisms, fibrils, flocs, aggregates. |
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Sci. Mar. 68(Suppl.1) : 13-21 |
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