TABLE OF CONTENTS 



Page 



PREFArE - 4 



TABLE OF CONTENTS 5 



PRELIMINARY CHAPTER 

 PRINCIPLES AND DEFINITIONS 



1. Dissymmetry and Asymmetry 9 



2. Optical and Geometrical Asymmetry 11 



3. Dissymmetric Structure as a Basis of Optical Ac- 



tivity - - 12 



4. "Eelative Configuration" and "Biological Series" 



of Optical Isomers - 15 



CHAPTER I 

 OPTICAL ACTIVITY OF BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL 



1. Dissymmetry in Organic and in Inorganic Nature.— 19 



2. Asymmetry as a Specific Property of Protoplasm.— 20 



3. Asymmetry of Primary Constituents of Protoplasm 21 



4. Asymmetry of Secondary Constituents of Proto- 



plasm 24 



5. Exclusiveness of Asymmetry-Sign in Primary Sub- 



stances 27 



6. Non-Exclusiveness of the Asymmetry-Sign in Sec- 



ondary Substances 28 



7. Relative Configuration of Biological Material 30 



8. Asymmetry as a Criterion of the Organic Origin 



of a Substance 31 



CHAPTER II 



THE ORIGIN AND MAINTENANCE OF OPTICAL 

 ACTIVITY IN LIVING MATTER 



1. The Transmission of the Asymmetric State by 



Asymmetric Synthesis 35 



2. The Transmission of Asymmetry, from the Ther- 



modynamic and Kinetic Point of View 37 



