CHEMICAL PHENOMENA IN LIFE 



sorption in protoplasm colloids. Taking up food 

 by hyaloplasm is consequently as inseparable 

 from adsorption in the colloidal matter of the 

 plasmatic membrane, as from solution in the fatty 

 substances of the superficial layer of protoplasm. 



Essentially adsorption cannot be separated 

 from the swelling of gels in water. Many experi- 

 ments have shown that all influences which further 

 the swelling of gels hinder adsorption and vice 

 versa. Hofmeister's Law was found to be in force 

 even in this group of phenomena. The anions of 

 acids which are most effective in precipitating sols 

 are the same which are most adsorbed. 



When adsorption of salts takes place by living 

 cells or by colloids, the electric state of the colloid 

 is very frequently of great influence on the process 

 of adsorption. Most of the organic colloids are, 

 as was shown above, negatively electric. They 

 must consequently act like acid anions, and 

 will in adsorption chiefly attract the bases of the 

 salts. If the salt is in a highly diluted state 

 practically adsorption only of ions can take place. 

 Mainly the cations, viz. the metal ions, are re- 

 tained by adsorption, while the anions remain to a 

 certain extent unaffected. Hence, of course, must 

 result reactions of acids, without any chemical 

 production of acids. Doubtless such adsorption 

 phenomena are of great interest for physiology. 

 It has for a long time been well known that roots 

 of plants produce the effect of acids upon the soil 



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