CONTENTS 



LECTURE I 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS 



PAGE 



I 



LECTURE II 

 CONCERNING THE GENERAL CHEMISTRY OF LIFE PHENOMENA 



1. Historical Remarks ............ 7 



2. Reversible Enzyme Action Lipase Action Reversible Enzyme Action in the 



Carbohydrate Group The General Occurrence of Protein-splitting Enzymes 9 



3. Respiration as a Catalytic Process 13 



O) The Oxidases 13 



() Further Remarks on the Significance of Oxygen in Life Phenomena . . 1 6 



(<:) Death in Lack of Oxygen and the Protective Action of Oxygen . . 18 



(</) Changes of Structure in Lack of Oxygen 19 



4. The Production of CO2 through En/.ymes 21 



5. Concerning the Theory of Enzyme Action 24 



(a) Stereochemical Attempts .24 



(<$) The Theory of Intermediary Reactions 26 



LECTURE III 

 THE GENERAL PHYSICAL CONSTITUTION OF LIVING MATTER 



1. The Limits of Divisibility of Living Matter ... 29 



2. Foam Structures and Emulsions ..... . . . 31 



3. The Colloidal Character of Living Matter 33 



4. The Formation of Surface Films and Traube's Membranes of Precipitation - 



Overton's and Meyer's Work on Narcotics and the Nature of Surface Films . 38 



5. Osmotic Pressure and the Exchange of Liquids between the Cells and the Sur- 



rounding Liquid .......... 4 1 



6. Further Limitations of Traube's Theory of Semipermeability 45 



7. The Antagonistic Effects of Salts 46 



LECTURE IV 

 ON SOME PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF LIFE 



1. Hypotheses of Muscular Contraction 



2. Quincke's Theory of Protoplasmic Motion 



3. Concerning the Theory of Cell Division ...... 



4. The Origin of Radiant Energy in Living Organisms 



5. Electrical Phenomena in Living Organisms . 



113 



53 

 55 

 58 

 66 

 68 



