Nutrient affinity, half-saturation constants and the cost of toxin production in dinoflagellates.

The two parameters of the Michaelis-Menten model, the maximum uptake rate and the half-saturation constant, are not stochastically independent, and the half-saturation constant is not a measure of nutrient affinity, as commonly assumed. Failure to realise their interdependence and mechanistic interpretation may lead to the emergence of false trade-offs.