VOLUME LXXII : NUMBER 3 
LEE 
DOTANICAL (GAZETTE 
SEPTEMBER 1921 
EFFECT OF DIRECT CURRENT ON CELLS OF ROOT TIP 
OF CANADA FIELD PEA 
Henry F. A. MEIER 
(WITH PLATES II, III, AND THREE FIGURES) 
Introduction 
EFFECT OF CURRENT ON LIVING STRUCTURES 
The numerous researches to determine the effect of the electric 
current on plants may be divided into two general classes: first, 
those in which certain organs or entire plants were subjected to 
electricity, the effect being measured by increase or absence of 
growth; second, those in which the effect of the current on the 
individual protoplast formed the basis of study. Among those 
interested in problems of the second class, Amicr (1) as early as 
1818 suggested, although without experimental evidence, that 
protoplasmic streaming was of electrical origin. Impressed by 
AMici’s suggestion, and by the striking results of his own and 
DutrocHet’s work on the relation of temperature to protoplasmic 
streaming, BECQUEREL (2) attempted to show that the direct elec- 
tric current had the same effect on protoplasmic streaming as varia- 
tions in temperature. He placed cells of Chara in a helix, some 
parallel and others at right angles to the direction of the electric 
current, using a battery of 10-30 elements, without in any way 
influencing the rate of flow. With stronger currents, making 
direct connection with the cells by means of platinum electrodes, 
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