74 



THE SYNTHESIS OF FATS 



is the enzyme concerned, and by its activity the fat is hydro- 

 lysed into glycerol and fatty acid, which products are used 

 either immediately for the needs of the seedings or are first 

 converted into carbohydrate. Agreement is general that as 

 germination proceeds, the acid radicals becomes saturated, 

 as is indicated by the decrease in the iodine value, and the 

 rate of consumption of these acids is inversely proportional 

 to their degree of saturation. 



As the fats decrease, the carbohydrates increase, a fact 

 brought out in the following analysis of arachis seedlings by 

 Maquenne : — * 



The nature of the carbohydrate formed differs in different 

 plants ; glucose would appear to be the most common, but 

 sucrose, starch and dextrins also are described. It is not 

 unlikely, as Maquenne has pointed out, that the nature of the 

 carbohydrate depends upon the kind of fat and its degree of 

 saturation. He considers that the saturated fatty acids con- 

 tribute in a much lesser degree to the formation of sugars than 

 do the unsaturated acids, and that the saturated fatty acids 

 are principally used for respiratory purposes. Agreement, 

 however, between the authorities in respect to this aspect of 

 the subject does not obtain. Ivanow considers that there is 

 no real difference between the saturated and unsaturated 

 fatty acids in their power to give origin to carbohydrates, 

 the difference in their amounts being due to the more rapid con- 

 version of the unsaturated variety. However this may be, 

 the salient feature in the germination of a fat-containing seed 



* Maquenne : " Compt. rend.," 1S98, 127, 625. 



