CONTENTS. 



PAGE 



PREFACE v 



CHAP. 



I. INTRODUCTION: THE LIVING PLANT i 



The hydrogen ion concentration 4 



II. THE SYNTHESIS OF FATS 10 



III. THE SYNTHESIS OF CARBOHYDRATES 14 



The factors 15 



External factors 17 



Raw materials 17 



Water 17 



Carbon dioxide 17 



Temperature 23 



Illumination 25 



Internal factors 32 



Chlorophyll 32 



The unknown factor 33 



The products of carbon assimilation 35 



The organic products of carbon assimilation .... 36 

 Hypotheses concerning the synthesis of carbohydrates by the 



green plant 38 



IV. THE SYNTHESIS OF PROTEINS 50 



Hydrolysis of proteins on germination 58 



V. RESPIRATION 61 



The mechanism of oxidation 64 



Intensity 74 



Stimulation 78 



The action of anaesthetics ........ 79 



The conditioning factors 81 



Temperature 81 



Food 86 



Water 89 



Salts 91 



Acidity 92 



Light 93 



The mechanism of respiration 94 



vii 



