CHAPTER IV 



MINERALS AND ORGANIZED BODIES DISTINGUISHED 



Nature may be separated into two great kingdoms, 

 that of mere dead matter, and that of matter under the 

 influence of life. 62 These differ in the following points : 



(i) Composition. While most of the chemical elements 

 are found in different living beings, by far* the greater 

 part of their substance is composed of three or four, 

 carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen ; or these three with the 

 addition of nitrogen. Next to these elements, sulphur 

 and phosphorus are most widely distributed, though 

 always found in very small quantities. The organic com- 

 pounds belong to the carbon series, and contain three, 

 four, or five elements. The former class, comprising 

 starch, sugar, fat, etc., are relatively stable. The latter, 

 possessing the three elements named, with nitrogen and 

 sulphur or phosphorus, are very complex, containing a 

 very large number of atoms to the molecule, and are 

 usually unstable. Here belong albumen, myosin, chon- 

 drin, etc., the constituents of the living tissues. The 

 formula for albumen is said to be C 72 H 112 N 18 SO 22 , or 

 some multiple of this formula. These compounds also 

 contain more or less water, and usually exist in a jelly- 

 like condition, neither solid nor fluid. All organic com- 

 pounds are formed through the chemical activities of 

 protoplasm, which is the only living substance. Inor- 

 ganic matter may, under its influence, be changed to 

 organic, and vice versa ; dead matter which enters the 

 body of organized beings in the form of nutriment is 



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