148 LIFE: ITS NATURE AND ORIGIN 



And in a more recent publication 1211 I wrote: "The functioning of 

 the antigen 'mold' or 'template' may be crudely illustrated, at a much 

 higher structural level, by pressing a piece of tinfoil against the sur- 

 face of a coin. 13 The surface of the foil next to the coin acquires an 

 impression which is the specific opposite or reverse intaglio of the 

 coin pattern, while the upper surface of the foil acquires a surface 

 pattern which duplicates the coin pattern. If something analogous 

 occurs when a molecular plaque is formed against an antigen mold, 

 the subsequent influence of the detached plaque would depend upon 

 which of the plaque surfaces remains exposed to the milieu, if the 

 plaque serves as adsorbent or is itself adsorbed. There could thus 

 be formed a new surface like the mold, or a surface with a reverse 

 contour, or modifications of either of these surfaces if the plaque is 

 distorted on adsorption or is subject to enzymic or other biochemical 

 attack. 



"The separation of duplicated chromosomes during mitosis shows 

 that forces exist which separate the duplicated gene-strings from each 

 other. As N. K. Koltzoff 14 and C. B. Bridges 15 independently showed, 

 the huge salivary gland chromosomes in the small grub that develops 

 into Drosophila, which are enlarged or swollen to about 200 times 

 normal size, appear to consist of a number, possibly 16 or more, of 

 gene strings which, instead of separating, remain coherent and, when 

 stained, show specific bands and structures at the loci of specific genes. 

 On comparing the location of these bands with the gene maps 

 developed from the data of geneticists, their matching indicates that 

 we have before us what has been termed a 'genetic spectrum.' 



"What forces normally separate each template gene from the new 

 gene formed against it, so that the new chromosome may separate 

 lengthwise from its originator? And what forces would determine 

 the separation of our hypothetical plaque from the surface against 

 which it was formed? While no simple or positive answer can be 

 given, it must be recalled that small changes in ionic concentration 

 (pH with protein units, C Ca in the developing zygote) could be effec- 

 tive, as may also be the presence of small amounts of specific sub- 

 stances which act as "detergents," as Svedberg found with proteins 

 and as Smith found with natural chlorophyll. Another possibility 

 is suggested by the experiments of Goranson and Zisman 16 who found 

 that when about 500 successive X-multilayers of calcium (or barium) 

 stearate were deposited upon an ebonite 'probe,' the polymolecular 

 layer spontaneously detaches itself. 17 Possibly the cohesive surface 

 forces diminish as the layer becomes thicker, and are no longer effec- 

 tive when the deposit reaches a critical thickness. It is not unreason- 

 able to envisage the possibility that specific natural proteins, car- 

 bohydrates, etc., may be thus formed at the surface of specific catalysts 

 as templates, and float away to become effective units elsewhere. A 



