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LI8RAR Y| ^ 



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Judging by the bibliographical list of publications deal- 

 ing with optical activity in biological material, one has 

 the impression that this subject did not arouse among 

 American scientists the same degree of interest as did 

 many other problems of biophysics and biochemistry. It 

 is thought that this review will contribute to focus the 

 attention of more of the so active investigators of this 

 country on the important role of asymmetry in the build- 

 ing stones of protoplasm. 



In presenting ''(9p^«c«^ Activity and Living Matter" by 

 G. F. Gause to scientists at large, the object of the editor 

 of this series of monographs is to bring to the fore a 

 subject w^hich seems to be of fundamental significance in 

 the problem of the structure and the mechanism of action 

 of living matter. 



The contents of this monograph with the exception of 

 the General Bibliography, are reprinted from BIODY- 

 NAMICA, Nos. 52 and 56, 1939; 62 and 63, 1940; 70 and 

 71, 1941. 



The Editoe. 



Saint Louis, Missouri, May 1941. 



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