36 



VELOCITY OF REACTIONS 



and thereafter a flat maximum. Every particle of 

 carbon decomposes a certain quantity of lysin in unit 

 time, independently of its concentration. Here it is 

 difficult to suppose that the carbon-particles enter 

 into compounds with the lysin. Probably the ex- 

 planation is that the decomposed lysin forms a 

 covering of the particles, and that this covering 



002 004 0-06 008 01 012 



Concentration of vibriolysin 



FIG. 6. 



014 



diffuses away, giving place for new lysin-molecules 

 at a certain rate nearly independent of the concentra- 

 tion of the solution. The velocity of decomposition 

 is proportional to the number of carbon-particles, 

 which regularity is easily understood. Fig. 6 gives 

 a graphic representation of the value K. io 6 . 



The problem of this kind which has attracted 

 the greatest interest among biochemists is that of 

 digestion. As is natural, most experiments on that 



