46 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 



The Cell Nucleus, as far as investigated, contains nuclein as 

 chief constituent. 



Nucleins. By this name HOPPE-SEYLER and MIESCHER desig- 

 nated the chief constituent of the nucleus of the pus cell first 

 isolated by them. Since that time, as by continuous investigations 

 the same body is found very widely diffused in the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms, especially in organs rich in cells, we now desig- 

 nate as nuclein a number of phosphorized bodies which are 

 partly obtained as splitting products of the nucleoalbumins, and 

 partly the chief constituents of the cell nucleus. 



According to HOPPE-SEYLER, these bodies may be divided into 

 three groups. The first, to which belong the nuclein of yeast, pus, 

 nucleated red blood-corpuscles, and probably the cell nucleus in 

 general, on boiling with acids yields as splitting products albumin- 

 ous bodies, xanthin bodies, and phosphoric acid. To the second 

 group, which yields as splitting products albumin and phosphoric 

 acid, belong the nuclein of the yolk of the egg and casein in other 

 words, from the nucleo-albumins in general, and to the third group, 

 which gives as splitting products only phosphoric acid and hypoxan- 

 thin, belongs only the nuclein of the sperm of the salmon. LIEBER- 

 MANN has split off metaphosphoric acid from the nuclein of yeast, 

 and he has also found that the metaphosphoric acid gives a com- 

 bination with albumin which acts like a nuclein of the second 

 group. POHL has also come to the same result in so far as he has 

 been able to prepare a combination of metaphosphoric acid with 

 serum albumin and albumose which is similar to nuclein. LIEBER- 

 MANK therefore considers nuclein as a combination between albumin 

 and metaphosphoric acid. The xanthin bodies, which, according 

 to KOSSEL, are decomposition products of the nucleins, according to 

 LIEBERMANK probably come from admixture. 



That we find different constitutions for nucleins of different 

 origin is not remarkable. A variation of 3.2-9.6$ in the amount 

 of phosphorus has been found in different nucleins. Under such 

 conditions, and as the nuclein question is at present doubtful, it 

 is hardly of any use to give the results of the elementary analyses 

 of the different nucleins. 



The nucleins are colorless, amorphous, insoluble, or only slightly 

 soluble in water. They are insoluble in alcohol and ether. Thev 



