LIFE S FRINGES 



the phenomenon of growth, of cell multiplication, as something that 

 is inherent in life and can be studied only as far as its dependence on 

 external factors is concerned. Rarely does one encounter signs of a re- 

 cognition of its implications in a chemical sense. And yet it implies no 

 less than that the living cell manufactures, often from one single or- 

 ganic nutrient substance, the hundreds of compounds, some of them 

 extremely complicated, that one finds when analyzing the chemical 

 composition of cell material. 



It seems to me that this concept has so far been grossly neglected, 

 also by biochemists. Violent combats have been fought by these 

 scientists over their attempts to comprehend how a yeast cell manages 

 the relatively simple conversion of a glucose molecule into alcohol and 

 carbon dioxide. But how many among our biochemists have ever 

 troubled themselves about the problem how that same yeast cell suc- 

 ceeds in converting other sugar molecules into the fats, lipoids, steroids, 

 hemins, flavins, amino acids, proteins, nucleoproteins, and so on and 

 so forth, that nonetheless must be produced with equal certainty? 



To be sure, it is, as usually, much easier to raise the question than 

 to answer it. But viewed from the standpoint of the virus investigations 

 there is much comfort in the consideration that the miracle of the new- 

 formation of virus in the host cell is no more than a special accessory 

 to the every-day phenomenon of biosynthesis. It will be necessary 

 clearly to keep in mind the fact that every cell synthesizes nucleopro- 

 teins from simple building blocks ; and in that case the virus problem 

 can be reduced to the rather more simple question: 'Why is the com- 

 position of this nucleoprotein occasionally modified?' May we not hope 

 that, once the mechanism of the normal biosynthesis has been more 

 clearly defined, the solution of the other problem will not cause too 

 many difficulties? 



As a biochemist I am pleased to state that the earlier expressed 

 deficiency in biochemical approaches is not general, and that there 

 exists at any rate one organisation where, for a considerable period of 

 time, the viewpoint here defended has been heeded. And as a Nether- 

 lander it gives me satisfaction to say that this organisation is a Dutch 

 one. Although generally the Netherlands' commonwealth seems to 

 hold the opinion that the purposeful promotion of experimental sci- 

 ence is no concern of the state, and appears to believe that in our 

 country pure science can be satisfactorily developed as a by-product 



343 



