ABSTRACT

Total amino acids in marine sediments was determined by the combined use of hydrochloric acid hydrolysis (A fraction) and hydrofluoric acid treatment (B fraction). The B fraction comprised 5 to 10% of the total amino acids. The amino acid composition of B fraction indicated a characteristic feature that threonine and serine were relatively abundant. The amino acid composition of B fraction resembles that of diatom cell walls as pointed out by HECKEY et al. From this fact, it is interpreted that the B fraction originated from the diatom cell walls, not from the amino acid associated with aluminosilicate such as clay in sediments.