Chapter XIX — 211 — Cytoplasmic Alterations 



ome. Now this action seems to be very slight. The chondriome, 

 so sensitive to most exterior agents, is only very gradually injured. 

 The lesions consist of a vesiculization of the chondriosomes and of 

 the plastids, accompanied by their fatty degeneration (lipophanero- 

 sis). In short, the effect of radium salts is to accelerate the de- 

 generation which would normally be produced much later on. 



Plasmolysis leads to interesting modifications of the cell. My- 

 elin figures appear in the cytoplasm (Figs. 146-148) in the form 

 of pediculate buds on the border of the vacuole, which are capable 

 of being detached and of emigrating into the vacuoles. These fig- 

 ures do not seem to be doubly refractive. They may perhaps be 

 attributed to a sort of unmasking of the cytoplasmic lipides. Dur- 

 ing plasmolysis, there is also often observed a fragmentation of 

 the vacuole into small filamentous or reticulate elements. The 

 chondriosomes and plastids are not modified as long as the cell 

 remains living, but they become vesiculate as soon 

 as the cell dies (Guilliermond, Kuster). Let us 

 add that plasmolysis of living but injured cells 

 produces the curious phenomenon described by 

 Kuster as plasmoschism, in which the permeabil- 

 ity of the ectoplasmic membrane is so greatly 

 increased that it no longer inhibits penetra- 

 tion. The perivacuolar membrane, however, re- 

 tains its semi-permeability and so the vacuole con- 

 tracts but the irremediably injured cytoplasm is 

 stretched, taking very irregular shapes and 

 breaking apart. 



The study of the death of cells by freezing 

 gave rise to the work of Matruchot and MoLLi- fjg. 148. _ iris. 

 ARD who thought that freezing brought about Figures uke myelin 



, I'l ji 11 iiij_- figures m a plasmo- 



plasmolysis because the cold causes dehydration, lyzed epidermal ceii. 

 According to Becquerel death by coagulation re- 

 sults from syneresis. 



Lastly, the investigations of Miss RoLLEN concerning the action 

 of ethyl chloride, octanol and amyl alcohols on cells has shown 

 that these substances cause a slight plasmolysis of the cell and the 

 cavulation of the chondriosomes. 



Alterations produced by parasites:- The processes of alteration 

 of the cytoplasm by parasites are very little known. However, 

 modifications in plastids, in chondriosomes and in vacuoles have 

 been described. Beauverie found a rarefaction of the chloroplasts 

 and chondriosomes in certain parasitized tissues. He explains this 

 by modifications produced by the parasite in the osmotic state of 

 the cells because the parasite secretes enzymes and toxic sub- 

 stances. Beauverie says, however, that these appear only in con- 

 nection with necrosis, and not when the parasites cause overactiv- 

 ity, as in the case of tumors or in active amylogenesis. In the case 

 in which the alteration takes the form of a diminution in the num- 

 ber of chloroplasts in a cell attacked in the adult state, their dis- 



