204 PLANT BIOCHEMISTRY 



There is no known role for rubber in plant metabolism. The litera- 

 ture contains suggestions that rubber may be a reserve food, although 

 the evidence available does not support such a view since plants sub- 

 jected to prolonged starvation show no decrease in rubber content. 

 Enzymes capable of attacking rubber are not known in higher plants 

 but have been detected in microorganisms. 



REFERENCES 



Botany, a Textbook for Colleges, second edition. J. B. Hill, L. O. Overholts, and 

 H. W. Popp. McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1950. 



Plant Biochemistry. J. Bonner. Academic Press, New York, 1950. 



Cellulose and Cellulose Derivatives, second edition. Edited by E. Ott, H. Spurlin, 

 and M. Grafflin. Interscience Publishers, New York, 1954. 



Natural and Synthetic High Polymers, second edition. Edited by K. H. Myers. In- 

 terscience Publishers, New York, 1950. 



