THE STOEAGE OF BESEBVE MATEEIALS 243 



In many seeds, among which may be mentioned those 

 of the Castor-oil plant and the Brazil nut, the aleurone 

 grains possess a more complicated structure. Fig. 118 

 shows a section of one of the cells of a seed of the castor-" 

 oil plant in which some of them are lying. The figure 

 represents the cell after treatment with alcohol, and sub- 

 sequently with water. The alcohol removes the oil with 

 which the cells are filled, and which obscures the appear- 

 ance of the grains. The latter are of ovoid shape, and as 

 they lie their structure is not apparent. Water dissolves 

 part of the outer portion, leaving visible the ovoid body, 

 which becomes transparent. Embedded in it are a large 

 regular crystal of protein matter, and a small rounded 

 irregular mass consisting mainly of minute crystals of mineral 

 matter. These two constituents are spoken of as the 

 crystalloid and the globoid respectively. The part of the 

 matrix which is not soluble in water will dissolve in a 10 

 per cent, solution of common salt, while the crystalloid is 

 soluble only in a saturated solution. The mineral part of 

 the globoid of the grains of the castor-oil plant is a double 

 phosphate of magnesium and calcium. 



Examination of these grains and their reactions shows 

 that several proteins can be detected in them. Those 

 soluble in water are proteoses, while the others which 

 dissolve only in salt solutions are globulins. In grains 

 met with in other plants, metaproteins occur which dissolve 

 only in dilute alkalies. 



Crystals of protein occur in other places than seeds. 

 If we examine a young potato, we find, in certain cells 

 lying a little below the skin, some regular transparent 

 cubical crystals, which are composed apparently of the 

 same material as the crystalloids of the complex aleurone 

 grains described. They are soluble in saturated solutions 

 of common salt. Similar crystals are met with in the 

 tissues of certain seaweeds. Many of them can be made 

 to crystallise from the solvents which are used to extract 

 them, 



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