Elemental Composition of Algae

"Redfield" Ratio

the elemental ratio is approximately

C106: H263: O110: N16: P1: S0.7

Cells are approximately 70% water => 30% of weight is in this ratio

If you treat the above ratio as the "stoichiometry" of a cell

106 * 12

263 * 1

110 * 16

16 * 14

1 * 32

0.7 * 50

_______

3586

and the porportion of carbon would be 1272/3586 = 35%

this means that C is 35% of the weight of the dry weight