180 AMPHISBAENA 



led to many studies of their physical and chemical structures. 

 Ultracentrifugation, X-ray diffraction, electrophoresis, electron 

 microscopy, the many wonderful separation methods carrying the 

 name of chromatography: all these were instrumental in bringing 

 about these exciting times. It became possible not only to analyze 

 proteins completely but even to determine their amino acid 

 sequence in many cases. The triumphs of structure determination 

 were so great that everywhere young people were flocking to the 

 banner of the helical nature of things. 



o: 



You are spiraling a little too fast for me. Even Lucretius had to 

 stop for breath. Your dithyrambic tone reminds me that not long 

 ago I have heard a gushing voice on the radio speaking of "DNA, 

 this miracle monocule". 



y: 

 What of it? Some people have difficulty pronouncing "molecule"; 

 but this will change. Just as there were times when people found 

 it easy to say "transubstantiation". As to DNA, I shall soon come 

 to it. Let me continue. The advances I mentioned a minute ago 

 were, of course, not the only ones. Even before they had come 

 to fruition, studies had begun on other fronts. Certain viruses had 

 been purified sufficiently so as to warrant their chemical exami- 

 nation and had been recognized as nucleoproteins. First came 

 the plant viruses which were found to contain RNA, as do also 

 most of the animal viruses. The bacteriophages, on the other 

 hand, contain mostly DNA. But perhaps the most exciting thing 

 that happened was the discovery that microbial transformation — 

 a phenomenon known for quite some time — was due to specific 

 forms of DNA. This had the effect of placing DNA very near to 

 what the geneticists at that time were still calHng the gene. 



o: 

 If you don't mind let us still stick to this hoary term. I know, the 

 packaging has been changed lately; but since it still is the same 



