426 TorrEY: CYTOLOGICAL CHANGES 
with these granules and the nucleus empty. Cells that are in an 
intermediate condition make it clear how this change has taken 
place. A careful examination of a heavily loaded nucleus will 
often show a row of granules in the shape of a fine knotted 
thread extending from the black staining mass in the nucleus 
through the nuclear membrane and out into the cytoplasm of the 
cell, There may be several of these threads varying in thickness, 
but always composed of distinct granules (f 3). Sometimes a 
thread ends in the cytoplasm in a bunch of granules. As a rule 
the breaks in the nuclear wall, through which the granules find a 
point of exit, are very minute, but, in later stages especially, they 
may be quite extensive (f. 6). 
In the majority of cases these ruptures seem to be brought 
about by the constantly increasing size of the mass of granules. 
Since these granules are present in many nuclei in great abundance 
before germination has begun, the conclusion is inevitable that 
they were formed before the resting period. On the other hand, it 
is no less probable that no diastase is secreted from the cell until 
the beginning of germination, or, to use Matthew’s term, up t? 
that time there is merely “hylogenesis.” It is worthy of note, 
however, that the processes going on at the beginning of germina- 
tion are a direct continuation of those brought to a stop in the 
developing embryo by the resting period. 
An examination of these same columnar cells in a grain that 
has been placed under conditions favorable for germination for 
_ about 18 hours shows a very striking change in their organization. 
They are so greatly swollen that they are now at least three times 
their former size (/. 4). The nuclei are for the most part en- 
tirely devoid of granules. These have become scattered through- 
_ Out the cytoplasm, in all probability by virtue of the circulation 
of the cell sap. Many of the granules have increased considerably 
in size but the large ones are not restricted to any particular region 
of the cell. This increase in size of the granules lends color to 
the theory that a “ prozymogen”’ is formed in the nucleus which 
becomes an active ferment only after certain elements have been 
added to it from the cytoplasm. 
The nuclei themselves are distorted and in some cas 
swelling has been so violent that the delicate nuclear wall is TP” 
es the 
