154 CHEMICAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN 



becomes still more accentuated, and the tendency is still greater to 

 form the fat in concentrated solution, and the fatty acid and 

 glycerine in dilute solution. Similar results follow in the formation, 

 or vice versa, of the starches and proteins from their component 

 simpler molecules. 



It follows from the above considerations that, in order that 

 hydrolysis may proceed under the most favourable conditions, as 

 in digestion, then the reaction should proceed in dilute solution; 

 while in order that recombination may occur, as in storage in the 

 cell, the process should take place in concentrated solution. Further, 

 that any drop in concentration of a substance in solution in the 

 cell will tend to produce again hydrolysis and re- solution of the 

 stored-up substance. In fact, on the supposition that the enzymes 

 are not capable of utilising any other forms of energy in the trans- 

 formations which they induce, and merely act in hastening passage 

 to the equilibrium point, hydrolysis during digestion, and building up 

 again in the cell during metabolism can only proceed if the concen- 

 trations are low in digestion, and high in the cell during metabolism 

 and accompanying storage. 



The truth of the law deduced theoretically above with regard 

 to the effect of concentration upon the point of equilibrium of 

 reactions can also be shown by experiments. Thus Croft Hill 

 found that in very concentrated solutions, the ferment of malt, 

 maltase, caused the formation of a disaccharide from glucose. 

 In his earlier work Croft Hill thought the disaccharide formed 

 was maltose viz., the disaccharide on which the ferment naturally 

 works in the grain and that the process was hence a direct reversal 

 of the action of the same ferment upon maltose in dilute solution. 

 Emmerling, who repeated the experiments, thought the disaccharide 

 formed in the concentrated solution of glucose was isomaltose. 

 Then Croft Hill himself in later work found that the substance 

 formed was a new disaccharide which he termed revertose. The 

 important fact, however, remains that a ferment which in dilute 

 solutions of a disaccharide causes a hydrolysis into hexoses or 

 monosaccharides, in concentrated solution acts upon the hexose 

 and causes a condensation to disaccharide. It was further shown 

 by Croft Hill that in dilute solutions, containing less than 4 per cent, 

 of glucose, the formation of the disaccharide does not occur. 



It has since been shown by E. Fischer and E. F. Armstrong 

 that lactase, a ferment obtained from kefir, causes under like 



