242 B. F. KINGSBURY AND PAULINE E. HIRSH 



sents the possibility of an explanation on the basis of a general 

 interpretation and treats the cell as a unit. 



Synizesis, as an alteration in the morphology of the nucleus, can 

 be adequately approached only by a consideration of the ' play 

 of forces'* upon which the morphology of the nucleus depends and 

 in which a correlation with the cytoplasm must be intimately 

 involved. An adequate analysis of such forces has not, as far as 

 we are aware, been made. One is particularly impressed with the 

 existence of such forces when in karyolysis, as a result of their 

 suspension, the nuclear substance is free to follow the (simpler) 

 laws of its physical state and condense into spherical masses. It 

 is this which suggested that synizesis expressed a more or less 

 complete suspension of nuclear processes. Since the contraction 

 is toward the idiosome the impression is strong that, in the con- 

 traction, the relations of the nucleus to that portion of the cyto- 

 plasm in which the idiosome is, persist or exist, possibly in exag- 

 gerated form, while there is a more or less complete suspension of 

 nuclear-cytoplasmic relations over other portions of the nuclear 

 membrane. 



The arrangement of the chromatin (chromosomes) oriented in 

 relation to the idiosomatic cytoplasm in the well known ' bouquet 

 stage' indicates that such a peculiar interrelation between the 

 nucleus and this portion of the cytoplasm exists (persists) through- 

 out the growth of the spermatocyte I. 



Suggestions of such important correlations are naturally to be 

 found in the literature. Thus, Winiwarter ('08) recognized 

 synizesis as expressing a correlation between the chromosomes and 

 the idiosome, the latter exerting a real influence of attraction 

 upon the chromatin filaments, but affecting the cytoplasm as 

 well, since the mitochondria cluster around the idiosome. As 

 expressing the attraction he proposes the term centrotaxis, but 

 of its nature we are entirely ignorant as yet. Montgomery ('11) 

 suggests that synizesis, which he finds may occur during a large 

 portion of the growth period of the spermatocyte in Euschistus 



■■ By this somewhat unsatisfactory expression is meant the sum total of forces 

 that are undoubtedly operative in protoplasm— electrical attractions and repul- 

 sions, chemical affinities and reactions, osmotic tensions, etc. 



