CONTENTS 



INTRODUCTION PAGE 



Development of biological science; characteristics of protoplasm; 

 plant and animal life, similarities and differences; protoplasmic 

 activity essentially chemical changes; objects of study of the 

 chemistry of plant lif e xui-xvi 



^CHAPTER I PLANT NUTRIENTS 



Definitions; the plant food elements; available and unavailable 

 forms; the value of the different soil elements as plant foods; 

 functions of the different plant food elements in plant growth; 

 inorganic plant toxins and stimulants; references 1-15 



CHAPTER II ORGANIC COMPONENTS OF PLANTS 

 Plants as synthetic agents; types of changes involved in plant 

 growth; groups of organic compounds found in plants; physio- 

 logical use and biological significance defined; physiological 

 uses of organic groups 1&-20 



CHAPTER III PHOTOSYNTHESIS 



Definitions; physiological steps in photosynthesis; formaldehyde, 

 the simplest carbohydrate structure; the condensation of 

 formaldehyde into sugars; theories concerning photosynthesis; 

 the production of starches and sugars; references 21-29 



CHAPTER IV CARBOHYDRATES 



Importance, nomenclature, and classification; groups of carbo- 

 hydrates; isomeric forms of monosaccharides; chemical con- 

 stitution of monosaccharides; characteristic reactions of 

 hexoses; the occurrence and properties of monosaccharides; 

 disaccharides; trisaccharides; tetrasaccharides; the relation 

 of molecular configuration to biochemical properties; poly- 

 saccharides, dextrosans, levulosans, mannosans. and galac- 

 tosans; physiological uses and biological significance of carbo- 

 hydrates; references 30-66 



CHAPTER V GUMS, PECTINS, AND CELLULOSES 

 Relation to carbohydrates; groups; the natural gums and pento- 

 sans; mucilages; pectins; celluloses; physiological uses of 



celluloses; references 67-75 



ix 



