Chlorella vulgaris and Chlorella pyrenoidosa were compared relative to their abilities to grow at osmotic potentials of -0.1, -0.5, -1.0, -1.5, -2.0 MPa, [polyethylene glycol(PEG)-induced], and for osmotically-induced changes in lipid composition. C. vulgaris growth was inhibited as osmotic potentials decreased, while C. pyrenoidosa growth was moderately inhibited at -2.0 hPa. C. vulgaris produced increasing concentrations of triglycerides and sterol esters and decreasing levels of polar lipids and sterols as osmotic concentrations increased. Polar lipids, triglycerides, and sterols declined in C. pyrenoidosa while steryl esters remained constant. Ratios of free sterols to polar lipids were 10-fold greater in C. pyrenoidosa and were unaffected by reduced osmotic potentials. In C. vulgaris the sterol to polar lipid ratio declined. Decreasing osmotic potentials in a continuous culture of C. vulgaris, lowered cell lipid concentration, and had no effect on chlorophyll concentrations. The greatest decrease occurred as the osmotic potential decreased from -0.1 to -0.5 HPa. Decreasing osmotic potential caused the phospholipid concentrations to decline. Saturation of triglycerides and free fatty acids increased and decreased, respectively, while polar lipids remained fairly constant. However, the sterol to phospholipid ratio increased as the osmotic potential was lowered. BAS 13-338 (4-chloro-5-(dimethylamino)-2-phenyl-5- 3(2H)pyridazinone) had no effect on C. vulgaris resistance to osmotic stress, but caused growth inhibition as concentrations increased. However, BAS 13-338 was effective in decreasing growth inhibition of C. vulgaris grown in inhibitory levels of ethanol. BAS 13-338 had differing effects on the lipid composition of C. vulgaris when grown in PEG at an osmotic potential of -1.5 MPa compared to -0.1 MPa with 0.33% ethanol. The greatest effects were observed in the ethanol treatments where the qualitative composition of precursor sterols increased as the level of BAS 13-338 increased. This investigation confirmed the important role of lipids in responding to environmental stress through observations of lipid responses to osmotic stress and by manipulation of lipid concentrations using BAS 13-338. Resistance to ethanol inhibition but not osmotic inhibition was achieved in the investigation. / Ph. D.