﻿MYSTERY 
  OF 
  LIFE 
  DOKTNAN 
  317 
  

  

  one 
  may 
  be 
  sure 
  that 
  the 
  protoplasmic 
  system 
  of 
  the 
  cell 
  constitutes 
  

   a 
  wonderful 
  sort 
  of 
  machine. 
  There 
  must 
  exist 
  some 
  very 
  curious 
  

   inner 
  structure 
  where 
  the 
  protein 
  molecules 
  are 
  marshaled 
  and 
  arrayed 
  

   as 
  long 
  mobile 
  chains 
  or 
  columns. 
  The 
  molecular 
  army 
  within 
  the 
  

   cell 
  is 
  ready 
  for 
  quick 
  and 
  organized 
  action 
  and 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  state, 
  during 
  

   life, 
  of 
  constant 
  activity. 
  Oxidation, 
  assimilation 
  and 
  the 
  rejection 
  

   of 
  waste 
  products 
  are 
  always 
  going 
  on. 
  The 
  living 
  cell 
  is 
  constantly 
  

   exchanging 
  energy 
  and 
  materials 
  with 
  its 
  envu'onment. 
  The 
  appar- 
  

   ently 
  stationary 
  equilibrium 
  is 
  in 
  reality 
  a 
  kinetic 
  or 
  dynamic 
  equilib- 
  

   rium. 
  But 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  great 
  mystery 
  here. 
  Deprive 
  your 
  motor 
  car 
  

   of 
  petrol 
  or 
  of 
  oxygen 
  and 
  the 
  engine 
  stops. 
  Yes, 
  but 
  it 
  doesn't 
  die, 
  

   it 
  does 
  not 
  begin 
  at 
  once 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  pieces. 
  Deprive 
  the 
  living 
  cell 
  of 
  

   oxygen 
  or 
  food 
  and 
  it 
  dies 
  and 
  begins 
  at 
  once 
  to 
  go 
  to 
  pieces. 
  The 
  

   autolytic 
  enzymes 
  begin 
  to 
  hydrolyze 
  and 
  break 
  down 
  the 
  dead 
  

   protoplasm. 
  Why 
  is 
  this? 
  What 
  is 
  cellular 
  death? 
  The 
  atoms 
  and 
  

   the 
  molecules 
  and 
  ions 
  are 
  still 
  there. 
  Meyerhof 
  has 
  shown 
  that 
  

   the 
  energy 
  content 
  of 
  living 
  protein 
  is 
  no 
  greater 
  than 
  that 
  of 
  dead 
  

   protein. 
  Has 
  some 
  ghostly 
  entelechy 
  or 
  vital 
  impulse 
  escaped 
  

   unobserved? 
  Now 
  it 
  is 
  just 
  here, 
  at 
  the 
  very 
  gate 
  between 
  life 
  and 
  

   death, 
  that 
  the 
  English 
  physiologist, 
  A. 
  V. 
  Hill, 
  is 
  on 
  the 
  eve 
  of 
  a 
  

   discovery 
  of 
  astounding 
  importance, 
  if 
  indeed 
  he 
  has 
  not 
  already 
  

   made 
  it. 
  It 
  appears 
  from 
  his 
  wo^k 
  on 
  nonmedullated 
  nerve 
  cells 
  

   and 
  on 
  muscle 
  that 
  the 
  organized 
  structure 
  of 
  these 
  cells 
  is 
  a 
  chemo- 
  

   dynamic 
  structure 
  which 
  requires 
  oxygen, 
  and 
  therefore 
  oxidation, 
  

   to 
  preserve 
  it. 
  The 
  organization, 
  the 
  molecular 
  structure, 
  is 
  always 
  

   tending 
  to 
  run 
  down, 
  to 
  approach 
  biochemical 
  chaos 
  and 
  disorgani- 
  

   zation. 
  It 
  requires 
  constant 
  oxidation 
  to 
  preserve 
  the 
  peculiar 
  

   organization 
  or 
  organized 
  molecular 
  structure 
  of 
  a 
  living 
  cell. 
  The 
  

   life 
  machine 
  is 
  therefore 
  totally 
  unlike 
  our 
  ordinary 
  mechanical 
  

   machines. 
  Its 
  structure 
  and 
  organization 
  are 
  not 
  static. 
  They 
  are 
  

   in 
  reality 
  dynamic 
  equilibria, 
  which 
  depend 
  on 
  oxidation 
  for 
  their 
  

   very 
  existence. 
  The 
  living 
  cell 
  is 
  like 
  a 
  battery 
  which 
  is 
  constantly 
  

   running 
  down, 
  and 
  which 
  requires 
  constant 
  oxidation 
  to 
  keep 
  it 
  

   charged. 
  It 
  is 
  perhaps 
  a 
  little 
  premature 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  moment 
  to 
  

   say 
  how 
  far 
  -these 
  results 
  will 
  prove 
  to 
  be 
  general. 
  Personally, 
  I 
  

   believe 
  that 
  they 
  are 
  of 
  great 
  importance 
  and 
  generality, 
  and 
  that 
  

   for 
  the 
  first 
  time 
  in 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  science 
  we 
  begin, 
  perhaps 
  as 
  yet 
  a 
  

   little 
  dimly, 
  to 
  understand 
  the 
  difference 
  between 
  life 
  and 
  death, 
  

   and 
  therefore 
  the 
  very 
  meaning 
  of 
  life 
  itself. 
  Life 
  is 
  a 
  dynamic 
  

   molecular 
  organization 
  kept 
  going 
  and 
  preserved 
  by 
  oxygen 
  and 
  

   oxidation. 
  Death 
  is 
  the 
  natural 
  irreversible 
  breakdown 
  of 
  this 
  

   structure, 
  always 
  present 
  and 
  only 
  warded 
  off 
  by 
  the 
  structure- 
  

   preserving 
  action 
  of 
  oxidation. 
  

  

  The 
  last 
  great 
  problem 
  which 
  I 
  shaU 
  venture 
  to 
  consider 
  in 
  this 
  

   brief 
  sketch 
  concerns 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  life. 
  It 
  might 
  indeed 
  be 
  argued 
  

  

  