THE FUNGI 167 
result of this process—represents a store of 
energy equal to that required to tear the 
oxygen away from the various parts while it 
was in the making. This energy can be 
again released in the kinetic form by oxida- 
tion. But it need not take place in one stage. 
We shall get a certain definite amount of 
kinetic energy set free if we burn a pound of 
sugar, but we can break up the sugar more 
gradually, and at each stage a definite amount 
of energy will be liberated. It is only when 
we have completed the destructive process, 
and carbon dioxide and water alone remain, 
that we can get no more energy from our 
sugar products. And if we were to add up 
the various amounts of energy liberated 
during the various stages of destruction of the 
sugar, they would amount to the sanie figure 
as if we had burnt (2. e. oxidised) it at once. 
Of course, neither an animal nor plant can 
ever burn itself completely down to the simple 
substances into which it is capable of being 
resolved. Some portions of it will remain 
intact, and of the rest all sorts of intermedi- 
ate products will be formed. These possess 
different energy values according to their 
composition, and especially according to their 
complete or incomplete state of oxidation. 
It is on these intact or partially broken up 
chemical substances that the non-green organ- 
isms are able to live, and the fungi and bacteria 
especially serve an important purpose in the 
world because they are able to induce the 
