H. C. HAMPTON AND L. G. M. BAAS-BECKING 



639 



We then put 20 gm. of plants from the aquarium in 25 cc. of distilled 

 water and let it stand over night. The next morning 4 cc. of the 

 fluid gave 



which gives a yield of catalase of A' x 10^ = 85 from 3 gm. of plants. 

 The source of the above tables is the autographic record shown in 

 Fig. 2. 



Pm 



Seconds 



Fig. 2. Autographic record of presence of catalase in distilled AA'ater used 

 to wash Ulva. 



The enzyme is more or less destroyed by long standing, and we 

 can conclude with certainty that approximately one-half the total 

 amount of catalase passes out into the wash water within the first 40 

 minutes of washing. 



There is, as far as we know, only one paper dealing with a similar 

 question. Lyon has noted similar behavior with echinoderm eggs. 

 He found that in these eggs the catalase activity was doubled after 

 fertilization. The increase in activity started about 3 minutes after 

 fertilization. Lyon discusses several possible causes of this fact and 

 finds that neither the sperm nor the "increase in activity" is respon- 

 sible for the change but on the other hand a difference in the perme- 

 ability of the cell membrane. This is consistent with the theory of 

 fertilization set forth by Loeb, Warburg, and others. Lyon was 

 able, by placing the echinoderm eggs in distilled water, to double the 

 catalase activity in unfertilized eggs', in other words, they gave the 

 same reaction as the fertilized eggs. Lyon seems not to be aware of 



