The changes in orthophosphate in relation to phytin formation in maturing peas

The changes in inorganic orthophosphate in relation to phytin formation in maturing pea seeds of two varieties have been studied by means of a paper chromatographic technique. The changes appeared to take place in three stages. In the first stage the orthophosphate content was initially high and fell rapidly, while the phytin content rose. In the second stage the orthophosphate content rose and the phytin fell sharply but began to rise again at once. In the final stage the orthophosphate fell and the phytin slowly rose. The orthophosphate and phytin contents measured simultaneously by stain areas on chromatograms were negatively correlated and the correlation was significant at the P = 0.03 level. The bearing of these transformations on the texture of peas is discussed.