78 



Table 11. 

 Resorption of glucose from starfish coelom 1 ). 



This method depends on the amino-acids having their basic 

 character destroyed by formaldehyde and thus bringing about 

 greater ionisation. A neutralised formalin solution is added in 

 order to bind the NH 2 groups, the COOH group is then titrated 

 in the usual way. A correction was made for the titrable 

 alcalinity of the sea water. The results of these experiments 

 are represented in table 12 and fig. 7. 



Table 12. 

 Resorption of glycine from starfish perivisceral fluid 2 ). 



This rapid withdrawal of materials from the ,, blood" is really 

 very striking. The most essential feature of vertebrate blood 

 is lacking, for we do not have a balanced and storing system here, 

 but everything that comes in, leaves the transmitting medium 

 just as rapidly as possible. Everything coming in, is consumed 

 with surprising rapidity, the waste products also disappear 

 rapidly and there are no ,,threshold substances". This con- 

 sumption is not only due to the tissues, but also, and in large 

 part, the corpuscles seem to take away the food substances. 

 I could make sure of this by the following experiment. The 



] ) The time-figures indicate minutes, the quantities are given in milligrams. 

 -) Figures as in table 11. 



