Spirazines 31 



plasmic materials but is associated only with the 

 actively growing portions thereof. 



The successive nitrogen atoms along each side 

 of the spirazine will increase the basicity of the 

 terminal nitrogen atom, just like the two nitrogen 

 atoms in diazo compounds increase the basicity of 

 each other. Similarly the carbonyl groups along 

 each side of the spiral will increase the acidity of 

 the terminal carbonyl group. We thus have a 

 strongly basic group held firmly in close prox- 

 imity to a strongly acid group without being per- 

 mitted to neutralize the same, which may account 

 for the remarkable ability of living matter or its 

 enzymes to digest all sorts of complex food ma- 

 terials and to appropriate the resulting sub- 

 stances spontaneously and continuously for the 

 building up of its own protoplasmic structures. 



If the successive nitrogen atoms in a spirazine 

 are joined to one another by means of their fourth 

 and fifth valencies in the manner shown, which 

 seems to be entirely possible by reason of the fact 

 that these valencies in amino compounds are 

 always of opposite sign, then it appears that at 

 least some of the nitrogen atoms in proteins are 

 really pentavalent and should therefore be in- 

 capable of forming hydrochlorides in stoichio- 

 metric proportions as in the case of polypeptides. 

 This is in complete agreement with experimental 



