IN LIVING MATTER 5 



mena are as distinctive as those of other forms of energy, and 

 that these phenomena are studied by the same types of process 

 as are applied in the study of other forms of energy. 



It is perhaps not as commonly recognised as it ought to be 

 that for all forms of energy the object of study of the chemist or 

 physicist is the transformation of one form of energy into another, 

 and the phenomena observable during such transformation. 



Our advances in natural science are made by studying ex- 

 perimentally new transformers by which hitherto unobserved 

 forms of energy are developed, by noting as closely as possible 

 the nature of the instrument or transformer and adapting this 

 to its work, and by studying the effect of each form of energy so 

 developed upon various forms of matter, and the routes or trans- 

 formers by which it is dissipated into other forms of energy. 



In all cases we observe that some material agency or arrange- 

 ment is necessary in order that the transference from any one 

 specific form to any other may be effected, and that this agent 

 differs with the forms between which exchange is going on. The 

 machine or structure through which the change is effected may 

 be termed the energy-transformer. 



Observation teaches that bodies or substances which by their 

 structure or arrangement are specially adapted for promoting 

 certain energy exchanges are quite inert with regard to other 

 exchanges. 



In the case of some energy transformations the property of 

 acting as transformer appears to be shared by all forms of matter, 

 although in varying degree, while in other transformations the 

 property is most specific, and associated with some special arrange- 

 ment of matter. Thus, for example, all metals possess the pro- 

 perty in varying degree of electrical conductivity, and in inverse 

 proportion act as transformers for the conversion of electrical 

 energy into heat energy. The chlorophyll of the green plant, 

 on the other hand, has the very specific power of converting light 

 energy into chemical energy, and here acts as a peculiar energy- 

 transformer. Similarly, all enzymes are energy-transformers, 

 limited and specialised in range of action, for the transformation 

 of chemical energy. Again, iron in most marked degree (and a 

 few other metals to a less extent), is, by some special structural 

 arrangement, specially adapted to act as a transformer in the case 

 of magnetic energy, effecting its conversion into electrical or 



