Distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in algae, bacteria and lake sediments

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An abstract of a 1967 research paper on the distribution of aliphatic hydrocarbons in algae, in bacteria and in lake sediments

ORGANIC GEOCHEMICAL STUDIES, II.*
A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF
ALIPHA TIC HYDROCARBONS IN ALGAE, IN BACTERIA,
AND IN A RECENT LAKE SEDIMENTt
BY JERRY HAN, E. D. MCCARTHY, WILLIAM VAN HOEVEN,
MELVIN CALVIN, AND W. H. BRADLEY
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY, SPACE SCIENCES LABORATORY, AND LABORATORY OF
CHEMICAL BIODYNAMICS, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, AND U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,
WASHINGTON, D.C.
Communicated November 20, 1967
The theory that algal oozes could give rise to oil shales is not a recent one.'-3
Evidence for this theory rests on the finding that algae have less cellulose and a
correspondingly greater proportion of lipids than most plant material. In addition,
the contemporary alga Botyrococcus is present in microscopic remains in
some organic oozes.4 Since the algal ooze precursor theory rests primarily
on geological and paleobotanical evidence, we have sought to complement this
evidence by making a study of the constituents of various genera of algae at the
molecular level and comparing them with the organic constituents isolated and
identified in the algal ooze from a Florida lake.

Full research paper here (PDF format)

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