CHAPTER XXII 

 OXIDATION FERMENTS 



Theory of Action of Oxidases. The fact that the nutri- 

 ent substances, not affected by molecular oxygen at low 

 temperature, are oxidized with the greatest ease within the 

 economy into their end-products is a really wonderful phe- 

 nomenon. One can at once realize how remarkable this is 

 by reflecting upon the intense heat requisite to completely 

 burn up a bit of protein upon platinum foil, although it is 

 mere play for the body to break down large quantities of 

 protein, and that, too, almost completely. The problem of 

 just how this can be accomplished has occupied students 

 of nature ever since they began to delve into the enigma of 

 life from the chemical point of view. The thought must 

 necessarily at once obtrude itself that the oxygen must 

 exist in an extremely effective, "active" form; and in har- 

 mony with the advances in chemical science efforts have been 

 faithfully made to give concrete form to this idea. 



The idea of an ozonization of the intracorporeal oxygen, 

 emanating from the original brain of Schonbein, although it 

 deeply impressed his contemporaries, has not been able to 

 withstand criticism. The supposition upheld by Hoppe- 

 Seyler of an activation of the molecular oxygen by rupture 

 of the oxygen molecule after the manner of a reduction pro- 

 cess proved more fruitful. The observation, for example, 

 that in the presence of oxygen palladium foil charged with 

 hydrogen is capable of oxidizing indigo may as a process be 

 outlined in somewhat the following manner: 



Pd 2 H HO.H 



+ + 2 = 2Pd 2 + 2H 2 + H 2 2 , 



Pd 2 H HO.H 



peroxide of hydrogen being thus generated with its effective 

 oxidizing capacity. 



Traube seems to have been the first to adopt the idea of 



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