338 A. P. MATHEWS. 



form water are eliminated by a successive oxidation and reduc- 

 tion of the substances. A type of this reaction is the conversion 

 of ammonium carbamate into urea. 



NH 4 OCONH 2 O = NH 2 OCONH. 2 -f H 2 O 



2 CON 



Urea. 



NH 2 OCONH 2 + 2H = NH 2 CONH 2 + H 2 O. 



Upon the basis of this hypothesis, Drechsel succeeded- outside 

 the cell by rapidly alternating reductions and oxidations produced 

 by induction shocks in obtaining urea from albumin ; in synthe- 

 sizing hippuric acid from benzoic acid and glycocoll, and in syn- 

 thesizing ethereal sulphates. These syntheses may thus very 

 readily be the secondary result of that fundamental respiratory 

 process characterized as it is by a simultaneous reduction and 

 oxidation. 



The syntheses may also be due as shown by Nef for many 

 reactions to the condensation of active particles, that is particles 

 formed by the dissociation of organic substances and containing 

 open valencies. A typical synthesis of this sort would be the 

 formation of olefine gas from methyl alcohol, or the condensation 

 of the isocyanides. 



I. 2H NC SH>- HNC < + HNC < SB->- H 2 N 2 C, 

 II. 2CH S OH -*- 2CH, <; + 2H 2 O BH>- C 2 H 4 + 2H 2 O 



Olefine. 



If in protoplasm conditions are such as to cause a good many 

 active particles to be produced, syntheses by condensations of all 

 kinds must spontaneously and of necessity occur. In this way it 

 is seen that both growth and respiration are due to the spontane- 

 ous formation of active particles from the foods. 



In the third place, mere reduction may cause many syntheses. 

 A typical example of this sort is the condensation of acetone by 

 nascent hydrogen. 



CH 3 CH 3 CH a CH 3 



C OH 



CH 3 CH 3 C OH 



CH 3 CH 3 



Acetone. Pinacone. 



