108 ORIGIN AND NATURE OF LIFE 



a large host of organic compounds can be 

 made. 



As an illustration of this, if instead of two 

 of the hydrogen atoms at one of the end 

 carbons of the formula (1) an oxygen atom 

 (O) be put in, and for one of the hydrogens, 

 on each of the other carbon atoms the atomic 

 group called hydroxyl, consisting of an atom 

 of oxygen and one of hydrogen (— O— H), 

 which acts as a monad, be introduced, the 

 formula becomes : — 



H-C-C-C-C-C-C=0 



I I I I I 

 OH OH OH OH OH 



and this is the formula of the simplest sugar 

 known to us. Next, if two such whole big 

 molecules as the one we have just developed, 

 are united by setting free one of the places 

 occupied by a H in one, and one of the 

 places occupied by a HO in the other, then 

 very simply a reduplicated molecule is formed, 

 while the H set free from the one and the H O 

 from the other unite to form a molecule of 

 water H — O — H. The sugar so formed would 

 be a disaccharide similar to cane sugar, or 

 the sugar found in milk. 



