93 



of a compound in another way than this has usually happened 

 up to now. 



Besides they give us an important indication about the condition 

 of the amino acids in watery solutions. 



These araphoter electrolytes have apparently a neutralising influence 

 in two directious. This can only be understood well, when we sup- 

 pose that the action of the alkalic substances and of the acids on 

 the destruction of the mouosaccharids and on the inversiou of 

 sucrose is caused by molecules or molecule-fractions, which can be 

 fixed by the amino acid. 



From these results we may conclude that with these reactions 

 under the influence of strong acids the amino acids assume the 

 character of rather strong basic substances and under influence of 

 strong alkali they act as rather strong acids. 



These tuw opposite properties of the amphoter substance come 

 very distinctly to the front, which can best be symbolized by the 

 supposition of the open chain as well in strong acidic as in alkalic 

 medium. 



When we suppose the ring-constitution in pure water, against 

 which no decisive difficulty exists because the electrice conductive 

 power is so small, the above can also be defined as follows: 



By strong alkali the carboxyl-side 



CH,— NH, CH.-NH, CH,-NH,C1 



I ^ i I -^ I 



CO — OK CO — CO — OH 



of the ring is opened, by strong acids the ammonium-side. 



Now it was interesting to know how betain should behave; this 

 compound has no doubt in pure water the ring-constitution and it 

 could be expected that this ring should not open on the two sides as 

 easily, at least not in an equally strong degree, as this proved the 

 case with the amino-acids. 



Really, the experiments joined in tables V« and Y^ show that 

 betain does not hinder the destructive action of alkali on glucose, 

 whereas betain acts as monacidic alkali on hydrochloric acid during 

 the inversion of sucrose. Accordingly in presence of alkali the ring- 

 formula must be assigned to betain ; in presence of strong acids 

 this compound has an open chain. 



CH-N(CH,), CH-N(CH,),C1 



CO— CO— OH 



Betain in neutral and Betain in strong 



alkalic solutions. acidic solutions. 



