THE A NN ALS 



AND 



MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



[SECOND SERIES.] 

 No. 89. MAY 1855. 



XKVIII. — On the Sti'ucture of Chlorophyll. 

 By Hugo von Mohl*. 



I CONSIDER that it will not be a work of supererogation to 

 bring forward some observations on the anatomical conditions of 

 chlorophyll, since the description I gave of this structure, — 

 playing so important a part in physiological phenomena, — in 

 a dissertation which appeared in 1837 (Yermischte Schriften, 

 p. 349), has been on various hands declared erroneous, while, 

 after repeated investigations, I am compelled to the opinion that 

 these supposed refutations are based upon a false conception of 

 the actual conditions. In the essay referred to I endeavoured 

 to establish the view, that the chlorophyll-globules consist of a 

 soft substance, related to albumen, in which, in most cases, one 

 or more starch-grains are imbedded, and which owes its green 

 colour to the presence of an extremely small quantity of colour- 

 ing matter ; but the view which I attacked, previously advocated 

 chiefly by Meyen, that the chlorophyll-granules are utricles, 

 has again found supporters. 



Among these Nageli is especially to be cited, since he not 

 only most decidedly asserted the utricular nature of the chlo- 

 rophyll-granules, but also endeavoured to establish the anato- 

 mical definition of the utricle in a conclusive manner, and 

 to demonstrate a thorough analogy between this and the cell ; 

 which would have gone to show the existence of a special class 

 of elementary organs. (Zeitschrift f'iir wiss. Botanik, Heft iii, 

 and iv. 1846, p. 94. Translated in Ray Society's volume for 

 1849, p. 161.) 



* Translated from the ' Botanische Zeitung,' February 9th & 16th, 1855, 

 by Prof. Henfrey. 



Ann. ^ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. xv. 21 



