HEAT PRODUCTION BY EGGS. 



351 



indicate that the oxidative process is of fundamental importance 

 in the series of fertilization phenomena. 



In the only run made upon sperm, ten drops of dry sperm 

 were placed in the pipette and mixed with 50 cc. of sea water 

 after steady conditions had been established. The heat produced 

 can be expressed quite accurately by an equation of the form 



H= H (i ->), 



10 



I 



I 



I 



50 



too 



150 



FIG. 5. Heat production of Arbacia sperm. Abscissae, time in minutes after 

 one drop of sperm is placed in 50 cc. sea water. Ordinates, temperature difference 

 in micro-volts. 



where HO is the total amount of heat produced which, from the 

 work of Cohn (i) is probably a constant for any given amount 

 of sperm, b is probably dependent upon the pH of the water and 

 the temperature, e is the natural base of logarithms, and t is the 

 time after the sperm comes in contact with the water. This 

 equation suggests very much the heat production by an exo- 

 thermic reaction of the first order. In this case for ten drops 



of sperm, 



HO = 0.79 calories, 

 b = 0.008 when t is in minutes. 



Figure 5 shows the temperature change when one drop of 

 sperm (approximately the amount used) is added to 50 cc. of 



