148 ORIGIN AND NATURE OF LIFE 



amounts of energy are absorbed or set free 

 that chemical energy and pressure energy (or 

 energy of concentration) can balance in this 

 remarkable way. 



The balance so established enables the 

 living cell to deal with its nutrition and 

 preserve a nearly constant amount of soluble 

 pabulum within its contents. Suppose the 

 living cell is supplied with more nutrition 

 than it requires at the moment for immediate 

 oxidation to yield energy for its life-processes, 

 then the increased pressure of the soluble 

 part causes condensation on the multi- 

 molecules of colloid. This concentration, 

 aided by the ferments, causes reduplication, 

 and building-up of fats, starches, and proteins 

 into more multi-molecules, and finally granules 

 are formed. 



Now, suppose supplies of nutrition decrease 

 or fail, then the cell uses up its soluble material, 

 so obtaining energy which it converts into 

 various forms of activity. As a result, the 

 pressure of soluble matter decreases, now the 

 enzymes commence to act upon the multi- 

 molecules and break them up into soluble 

 material to restore the balance and supply 

 a store of energy for the active dissolved 

 colloids to utilize for the life-processes. In 

 this way slight variations in environment 



