1 6 GROWTH 



toplasm, would appear to be relatively simple. However, when 

 we realize that the construction of the protoplasm of the slime 

 mold from the water, mineral salts, and digested wood upon 

 which it lives is really the making of living material from non- 

 living stuffs we see that it is not so simple. An acquaintance with 

 the chemical constitution of what appear to be the important 

 constituents of the slime mold also emphasizes that fact. The 

 following table presents the results of a chemical analysis made 

 by Lepeschkin of a slime mold. 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF PLASMODIUM OF SLIME MOLD 



Per cent 



Water 82.6 



Dry matter 17.4 



Monosaccharids 14.2 1 Organic matter 



Protein 2.2 > soluble in water. 



Amine bases, purin bases, asparagin, etc 24.3 J (40.7) 



Nucleo-proteids 32.3 



Free nucleic acid 2.5 



Globulin 0.5 



Lipoproteids 4.8 



Neutral fat 6.8 



Phytosterin 3.2 



Phosphatide 1.3 



Other organic material (polysaccharids, pigment, resin) 3.5 



Ash about half extractable by water 4.4 



Organic matter 

 insoluble in 

 water. Chief 

 fundamental 

 material of 

 protoplasm. 



(54.9) 



The nucleo-proteids would seem to be the most important part 

 of the protoplasm since they constitute about one-third of all 

 the dry matter and about three-fifths of the dry matter which 

 does not dissolve in water. Nucleo-proteins are chemical com- 

 pounds with large and complex molecules. They appear to be 

 constructed of proteins and nucleic acid since they yield those 

 substances when they are decomposed by hydrolysis. 



Nucleo-protein 



Protein Nuclein 



Protein Nucleic acid 



