﻿.IVING PLANTS 



It is literally true that the existence of every 

 living thing is ultimately dependent upon the 

 activity of plant-green. 



The actual conditions are as follows : the 

 elements which enter into the construction of 

 protoplasm are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hy- 

 drogen and phosphorus. These elements are 

 found in the form of free gases or simple com- 

 pounds in the soil and atmosphere, and can- 

 not be used by protoplasm until built up into 

 the form of complex compounds. The con- 

 struction of compounds indispensable for the 

 nutrition of plants and animals does not re- 

 Importance of suit from mere proximity of the elements, 

 chlorophyll since those most highly desirable are chem- 



ically inactive to one another, and will unite 

 only under the influence of energy from with- 

 out. The substances are selected and ab- 

 sorbed in their elemental condition by the 

 plants, and in the crucible of the cell, glowing 

 with potentiality absorbed from sunhght,are 

 fused together and made ready for assimila- 

 tion by protoplasm. 



The most important synthetic process is 

 that which results in the formation of carbon 

 hydrates from carbon dioxide and water. If 

 this process were carried on b3^ means of en- 

 ergy furnished by the activity of the proto- 

 plasm, the expenditure entailed would over- 

 balance the benefits gained by the assimilation 



