84 



II. FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURE OF PROTOPLASM 



inactivation of a certain strain of phage. Moreover, according to Sharp 

 et al. (93) the equine encephalomyelitis virus, dried from suspensions 

 of low salt content or washed on the film with water, appears in 



Fig. 14. Virus-like particles of extremely small size in a red blood 

 cell. Partially hemolysed cell by hypotonic saline solution is 

 photographed in Ringer's solution. 



electron micrographs as round images with low contrast, whilst the 

 contrast increases greatly in the presence of calcium ions. Also with 

 images of influenza virus, it was noted that the periphery becomes 

 well defined in the presence of small amounts of calcium.. 



Thus it is thought that elementary bodies, whether they have a 

 virus action or not, are liable to be disintegrated or become elusive in 

 the electron micrographs, a tendency which can be prevented by the 

 presence of divalent cations. The divalent ions in these cases may 

 stabilize the polymerization of proteins, thereby viruses can be saved 

 from inactivation. 



'^''* However, if it is true that only virus particles can be caught in 

 the micrographs, whilst normal particles cannot, then it would be attri- 

 buted to some elementary bodies which have become stable enough by 

 virus infection to stand the manipulation of the micrography because 

 of an alteration in the chemical structure due to the virus. Usually 

 cells may multiply more rapidly when affected by a virus, and since 

 the enhancement in the multiplicability appears to be accompanied by 

 the increase in the nucleic acid content in the cell, some elementary 

 bodies would come to contain more nucleic acid following virus infec- 

 tion. Presumably this is the main reason for which "virus particles'* 



