MITOCHONDRIA IN TISSUE CULTURES 373 



degenerate form of mitochondria is shown by the fact that such 

 cells frequently divide. In case of mitosis the mitochondria 

 spread around the nucleus, and the large granules become short 

 rods or dumbbell-shaped rods. 



While these certain characteristic appearances of the mito- 

 chondria are found as a rule in the different kinds of cells, never- 

 theless the shape, position, size and quantity vary so much that 

 it is not always possible to distinguish the kind of cell by the 

 appearance of the mitochondria. 



b 



'r-^^P' a J I " <i 6,00 P.M. 6.20 P.M 



6.20 P.M 



,1 acelic 1% 



M 130PM -1.35 P.M. 1 37-3 00 PM. 3 to P.M. u V. ■ <: i u , ci 



^ N«™l ■ "yPO'o"": Sol., H,perton,c Sol. Hypotonic Sol. Hypertonic Sol. Hypotonic Sol. 



d 



Fig. 19 A, effect of 2 per cent glacial acetic acid vapor on the nucleus and 

 adjoining mitochondria and upon a single thread-like mitochondria; h, effect of 

 strong ammonia water vapor on another nucleus with adjoining mitochondria 

 and on a single thread-like mitochondrium, the reaction in both cases was almost 

 instantaneous; c, effect of ammonia vapor on a single mitochondrium followed 

 after 20 minutes by the vapor of 1 per cent glacial acetic acid; d, effect of hypo- 

 and hypertonic solutions on 4 mitochondria. * 



EXPERIMENTAL WORK 



Mitochondria in the living cell react rapidly and definitely 

 to certain stimuli and in many cases they react more rapidly 

 than either the cell as a whole or any other structure of the cell. 

 This reaction, to be sure, often resembles a disintegration of 

 the mitochondria and results in the rapid formation of varicose 

 mitochondria and then the separation of the varicose mito- 

 chondria into a number of small, finely granular rings. 



Reaction to acids 



When the culture is subjected to the action of carbonic acid 

 gas (fig. 13 e) or the vapor of acetic, sulphuric, hydrochloric, 

 chromic and other acids (fig. 19 a, 13 d) the mitochondrial threads 

 rapidly assume a varicose condition and soon separate into a 



