42 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



will be found in their respective chapters, we will here only discuss 

 the chemical constituents of the young cells or the cells in general. 



We must first differentiate between the protoplasm and the 

 nucleus. 



The Protoplasm of the generative cell consists during life of a 

 semi-solid body contractile under certain conditions, very rich in 

 water, and the mass of which consists mainly of albuminous bodies. 

 If the cell be deprived of the physiological conditions of life, or if 

 exposed to destructive exterior influences, such as the action of high 

 temperatures, of chemical agents, or indeed of distilled water, the 

 protoplasm dies. The albuminous bodies which it contains co- 

 agulate at least partially, and other chemical changes are found to 

 take place. The alkaline reaction of the living cell may be converted 

 into an acid by the appearance of paralactic acid, and the carbohy- 

 drate, the glycogen, which habitually occurs in the young genera- 

 tive cell may after its death be quickly changed and consumed. 



The albuminous bodies of the protoplasm consist, according to 

 the general view, chiefly of globulins, but albumins are also found. 

 The occurrence of globulins in the animal as well as in the vegetable 

 cell has been specially shown by HOPPE-SEYLER, and according to 

 this investigator two globulin substances, vitellin and myosin, 

 occur in all protoplasm. HALLIBURTON has lately closely studied 

 the albuminous bodies of the lymphatic cells, and found two 

 globulins besides an albumin probably identical with serum albu- 

 min (see Chapter IV). Of the globulins, one which occurs only in 

 small quantities coagulates at the temperature of 48-50 C., while 

 the other, which occurs in abundance, is coagulated like serum 

 globulin by a 5$ solution of MgS0 4 at 75 C. The widespread 

 occurrence of globulins and also of albumins in the protoplasm of 

 the animal cell has been unquestionably demonstrated, but these 

 two groups of albuminous bodies do not, at least in many cases, 

 form the chief mass of the protoplasm. The protoplasm seems to 

 consist in great part of very complex protein substances, the 

 proteids on one side and the nucleoalbumins on the other. Of all 

 these the nucleoalbumins appear to be regular constituents of the 

 protoplasm, and they do not only appear in the pus cells or in the 

 cells of the lymphatic glands (HALLIBURTON), but also in almost all 

 varieties of glandular cells. The chief mass of the albumins found 



