64 PRIMITIVE FORMS OF LIFE 



substances has a simple constitution. The molecule CH 2 0, 

 which represents the least complex of the carbo-hydrates, 

 develops very high powers in organic carbo-hydrates, so that 

 their formula is given by (CH 2 0) n +pH 2 0. Thus glucose has 

 the formula C 6 H 12 6 ; the starches and cellulose C 5 H n 5 

 and cane sugar C 12 H 22 O n . 



The fats are more complex : tristearine, for example, has 

 the formula : 



C 3 H 5 (C 18 H 35 2 ) 3 = C 57 H no 6 . 



But the highest degree of complexity is obtained by the 

 albuminoid substances. For instance, the constituent part of 

 the blood corpuscles of the dog has the formula : — 



^72 6 -"-11 7 lO 21 4-N 19 1^3' 



The exponential numbers in these formulae indicate the 

 number of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and 

 sulphur that enter into the constitution of the bodies 

 represented. For example, 



A molecule of glucose contains 24 atoms. 

 A molecule of tristearine 153 atoms. 



A molecule of albumen 2,305 atoms. 



A molecule of albumen, then, is a structure almost a hundred 

 times as large as a molecule of glucose, and more than thirteen 

 times as complex as a molecule of fat. It might be compared 

 with a house of cards, or, at least with one of those fragile 

 towers which children build with dominoes, and which the 

 slightest shock will overthrow. However small any mass of 

 living matter may be, it, nevertheless, contains a certain 

 number of these molecules, as well as sugars, starches, and fats, 

 all of which may exist side by side without any alteration so 

 long as they are not exposed to the influence of the oxygen in 

 the air, a most powerful disintegrating agent, or mixed with 

 certain other also exceedingly active substances called soluble 

 ferments, diastases or enzymes. 



Ferments are chemical compounds which can be dissolved, 

 precipitated, and then dissolved again ; they pass through 

 filters slowly, and, as they do not absorb nourishment, they 

 cannot be described as living substances, although they ?ose 

 all their activity when subjected to heat above 100 \ They 

 then appear to perish. They possess the property of acting 



