152 BIO-CHEMICAL JOURNAL 



Series V (/). Is the rate of autolysis influenced principally by the 

 strength of solution, or by the absolute quantity of acid present ? 



To determine this point varying quantities of acids of varying 

 strengths were employed. 



Autolysis Autolysis 



4 hours 6 hours 



1 6-0 17-8 



167 zro 



26-3 

 25-0 



2 5' 35'3 



24-8 



24-9 37-9 



35-0 



25-3 42-2 



These results indicate that provided sufficient acid is present (and 

 it has been already shown in Series V (^) that 20 c.c. of - acid produces 

 nearly the maximum result), the dilution in the case of a strong acid, 

 like sulphuric acid, has but little effect. The action of the acid is akin, 

 therefore, to the neutralization of a base, or the setting free of a weak 

 acid from a salt, rather than to a phenomenon of hydrolysis. It is the 

 amount of acid, therefore, that exerts the influence on the rate of auto- 

 lysis rather than the concentration. There is, however, an inhibition 



with sulphuric acid when the concentration reaches . This inhibition 

 is due, as will be seen in the above table, entirely to the concentration 

 and not to the quantity. It is probably, as already mentioned, due to 

 hydrolysis of the enzyme. 



Series V (). The influtnce of organic acids on autolysis. 



In the experiments with acetic and lactic acids, the rate of autolysis 

 with varying strengths and quantities has been compared with the rate 

 in 20 c.c. - sulphuric acid. 



