CHAPTER IV 



THE OUTER PROTOPLASMATIC MEMBRANE 

 AND ITS CHEMICAL FUNCTIONS 



BESIDES the transparent condition and the 

 absence of coarser granules or microsomes 

 hyaloplasm exhibits a series of microscopical 

 peculiarities. It is well known that protoplasm 

 in living plant cells generally shows a streaming 

 movement which is easily recognised either by the 

 movement of the chlorophyll bodies themselves 

 or by that of the microsomes. These bodies are 

 carried along by the streaming protoplasm with 

 considerable velocity. Even the cell nucleus is in 

 some cases carried along by the current of stream- 

 ing protoplasm. This outer transparent layer is 

 continually at rest, is never made turbid by 

 particles, and never includes drops. of liquid, cell 

 sap, which is quite commonly found in the polio- 

 plasm of older cells. Perhaps the viscosity of 

 hyaloplasm is greater than that of polioplasm. In 

 any case the boundary lamella of the hyaloplasm 

 must be of tougher consistence, and may be well 

 considered to be a plasmatic membrane or boundary 

 membrane of the living parts of the cell. This 

 plasmatic membrane is the proper organ for 

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