RENDERING RESI>TANT STARFISH EGGS NORMAL. $35 



action of the ether is correspondingly more favorable, than in Lot 

 B. I have already presented evidence that eggs showing this 

 abnormal behavior are characterized by the posse ion of hyper- 

 re-i-tant plasma membranes. It should be noted that variations 

 in the degree of resistance of thi- membrane occur regularly in 

 normal egg-. Various fact- indicate that the process of matura- 

 tion i- constantly associated with a change in the properties of 

 tin- pla-ma membrane. Thi- i- shown by tin- fact that mature 

 eggs undergo cytoly-is in 0.55/77 Na('l solution more rapidly 

 than immatu: :' al-o b\ the f.tcl that contact with sperma- 



tozoa .mil \arioii- tomi- "I artificial treatment cause the -epara- 

 lioii of the -urfact -film of ma tun- eggs in tin- f"rm of a fert ili/at ion 

 membrane, ;t change indii at ing a -.u]K-rtii-ial cytolylic or pi-rme- 

 abilii\ -int rca-iir^. acti-m; \\hili- immatiin . ggs ire not normalK' 

 t-i thi- i lian Thi- dil'fi -rnn v brt \\i-ni immaturr and 



eggs i- .1 foil-taut or ph\ -iolo-ic.il Iraturr in the lite 

 hi-tor\ of th. Tin- diltrrriifr lu-turcii normal . ggs and 



tin- iv-i-taut i-gg- undi-r fon-idt-ratiou i- in man\ rr-prc t- similar. 

 I or 5Om< reason tin- maturation profr tail- to briu- tin 



into the normalU sensitive fondition in \\hifh tin- permeability 



of tin- membrane i- readily imiv.i-ed. 1 lenee lert ili/at ion i- 



impi-rfeci. e\en fertilization-membranes failing to lorm in -ome 

 cases; in other- membrane- are formed and cleavage be- in-, but 



the latter is i harai teri-t iealK' irregular and tail- to proteed tar. 

 According to thi- \ie\v the failure of de\elopmeiit i- due not [<> 

 defectixe or-a ni/al ion of the ] n'ot. .pla-m. but -impK' to the 

 existence of an abnormal!) re-i-tant pla-ma membrane. The 

 action of ether consists iu re-toriu- the membrane to it- normal 

 tondiiioii. Tlu- re-pon-e to the -permato/ooii then becomes 

 normal. 



The experimental i-videnre in favor of this h\ pothe-i- < -oii-i-t- 

 at prc-cnt simply in the fact that such abnormal e;.;-- are rendi n d 

 normal b\ ether treatnu'iit not only in regard to their re-pon-e 

 to tertili/ation. but also in ic-ard to the rate and character of 



' R. S. I illir. .\>ni-rifini Journal ><f 1'h y--: >\2. Veil. . 



i : 1 I oeb's i-\i'i-iii)i-nt~ .'ii tli \-tfrina, I "niv.-i -ity of California 



l'ul.li> Mti.'ii-. I'liy-inlniLty. i<;(>5. \'nl. J. p. i ^,. Sp-r inato/,,a ami ai tifu ial iiic-tnl.' 

 II.IIUMU may linurvrr \ -\jiiial iiH-nihniin--' in alninrmal immature 



( J( ' . ' ft-ritni'tilal / [908, \ !. 5. p. _)"7. 



