56 



KozLOwsKi : Primary Svxthesis of Proteids 



m 



arc the agents of many reductions, such as the reduction of silver, 

 which, as Low and Bokorny have shown, constitute a property of 

 Hving plasma, of those proteids in which the process of disaggre- 

 gation and regeneration of molecules is still going on. 



This regeneration is produced by means of compounds with 

 diazotic groups like those formed in the last equation, and it is 

 easy to see that every process of disintegration is accompanied by 



an enrichment with organic nitrogen, and as ever}' decomposition 

 of proteids is only a stage to their reconstruction in larger amount, 

 the above discussed question upon the origin of oxalic acids ap- 

 pears under quite a new light ; in most parts of the plant (ex- 

 cluding the autumnal leaves) both decomposition emd reconstruc- 

 tion of proteids are connected processes taking place at the same 



time. 



I have had already occasion to notice the analogy between the 



production of cellulose in plants and that of fats in animals. It 

 is natural to suppose that both are produced by some groups of 

 atoms set aside during the above discussed reaction. If in the for- 

 mula of protein we put groups of atoms X and .V^ containing only 

 carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, instead of NH, it assumes the fol- 

 lowing structure : 



C,0, < 



N 



N 



< 



X 



R 



1 



X 



These groups of atoms, being set free in each of the two sup- 

 posed reactions, would originate the fatty acids in the case of ani- 

 mals, the cellulose or starch in the case of plants. Thus we can 

 represent the continuous process of formation and destruction of 

 proteids in plants as follows : 



Proteids 



(stored in the 



seeds). 



4.NHO3 (pro- 

 duced by the re- 

 duction of NHOg 

 from soil). 



The compound richer f reduced to amides and combined 



I 



in nitrogen i^dia- v with the assimilated carbohy- 





otic ?) 



drates gives anew 



M 



the cellulose and the 

 carhohydrates c o n- 

 sumed by respiration. 



Oxalic 



acid. 



rROTEIDS, 



which with the HNO^ produced 

 from the reduction of NHO^ is 

 further decomposed. 



