FORMATION OF NITROGEN COMPOUNDS 55 



which by loss of oxygen and water should give pyrrole* or 

 pyridine compounds respectively. 



By the condensation of two molecules of formhydroxamic 

 acid with one molecule of formaldehyde, the compound (VI.) 

 would be produced which by loss of oxygen and water would 

 yield glyoxaline (VII.) 



H . COH NH CH N 



II II I! 



HCOH HCOH CH CH 



\/ 



NH 



(VI.) (VII.) 



NrfT 



and again evidence of the actual formation of this substance is 

 adduced, as well as of histidine,f the sustituted a-amino acid 

 derived from glyoxaline. 



The authors' interpretation of their results is best given by 

 quoting their own words : " Our results leave no doubt that the 

 activated formaldehyde photosynthetically produced in the 

 living chloroplast reacts with potassium nitrite with extra- 

 ordinary ease to produce formhydroxamic acid, which at once 

 proceeds to condense with more of the activated formaldehyde 

 to give various nitrogen compounds. It follows from this that 

 the synthesis of the nitrogen compounds found in the plant is 

 not photosynthetic except in so far as the production of the 

 activated formaldehyde by the chlorophyll is concerned. The 

 various amino-acids, proteins, alkaloids, etc., are natural and 

 indeed inevitable results of the photosynthesis of formaldehyde 

 in the presence of potassium nitrite. Their formation has been 

 considered by some to savour of the mysterious, the mystery 

 being found in the question as to how a plant succeeds in 

 synthesizing the very substances it requires for its existence. 



" The life and growth of a plant consists in the utilization of 

 the products formed in its leaves. There is no real mystery in 



CH 



s\ 



* CH CH CH CH 



II II II I 



CH CH CH CH 



V 



Pyrrole Pyridine 



t See Vol. I., p. 325. 



