1902-3.] The Chemistry of Wheat Gluten. 507 



rapid state of division, gave a faint purplish reaction, perhaps from iron 

 derived by diffusion from the nucleus. 



In order to shov^ the distribution of organic phosphorus the inor- 

 ganic phosphates were first removed by soaking for half an hour in 

 acetic acid alcohol. Sections removed at the end of this time, placed 

 for a few minutes in the nitric-molybdate solution, and then in one per 

 cent, solution of phenylhydrazine hydrochloride showed no trace of 

 green colouration, this fact indicating that all inorganic phosphates had 

 been removed. 



Such extracted sections were now placed in nitric-molybdate 

 solution at 35° C. and removed in series at intervals of half an hour. 

 When placed in a solution of phenylhydrazine hydrochloride for a few 

 minutes, they showed a green colour, which increased in depth with the 

 times during which the section remained in the molybdate solution. In 

 twenty hours the aleuron layer and embryo were stained a bright green. 

 Sections which had had the celloidin removed by alcohol and ether, and 

 which were subsequently extracted with absolute alcohol in the Soxhlet 

 apparatus for several hours, gave exactly the same reactions as those 

 unextracted. Consequently lecithin could not have been present. The 

 aleuron cells in such preparations showed a large nucleus of a much 

 deeper green than the rest of the cells, and under the high power the 

 colour was seen to be confined to the spaces between the aleuron grains, 

 the coloured parts appearing in the form of a network. The network 

 had a more or less punctated appearance, the grains themselves were 

 perfectly colourless. 



In the endosperm of such preparations the nuclei alone were 

 coloured, though sometimes, after twenty-four hours, the proteid matter • 

 packed between the starch grains, and even the cellulose gave the 

 phosphorus reaction. Possibly phosphorus had diffused from the nuclei. 

 The manner in which the phosphorus is distributed in the different 

 types of embryo cells is quite varied. The palisade-like absorption 

 cells between the endosperm and embryo appeared finely granular and 

 of a uniformly dark green tint. The cytoplasm of the radicle and 

 plumule cells were of a finely granular character, and gave the phos- 

 phorus reaction. Around these tightly packed cells of the radicle and 

 plumule were other cells much more loosely connected, whose contents 

 appeared vesiculated. The intercellular material gave a faint phosphorus 

 reaction, while the large granular nucleus was much darker and very 

 prominent. 



