CHAPTER VIII 1 



THE BIOCHEMISTRY OF THE SEXUAL ORGANS 



" Nous sommes dans un de ces cMteaux des legendes allemandes ou les 

 murs sont formes de milliers de fioles qui contiennent les ames des 

 hommes qui vont naltre. Nous sommes dans le sejour de la vie qui 

 precede la vie." — Maeterlinck, La Vie des Abeilles. 



The Female Generative Organs 



Mammals 



In Mammals very little is known concerning the chemistry of 

 the female generative organs. The difficulty experienced in 

 obtaining material has rendered impossible a chemical investiga- 

 tion of the ovum itself. The fluid contained in the Graafian 

 foUicles of the cow is stated to be of a serous nature. Fr6m 

 the corpora lutea of the same animal amorphous and crystalline 

 pigments have been isolated, both of which belong to the class 

 / of substances called Hpochromes or luteins.^ These pigments 

 are also found in other sites, e.g. in adipose tissue, in serum, in 

 the retina, and in milk. Similar substances have been isolated 

 from plants, e.g. the crystalhne caroten which constitutes the 

 colouring matter of carrots and tomatoes. The luteins are not 

 related to blood pigment, and although hsematoidin may be found 

 in corpora lutea, especially when they are fresh, the existence of 

 the luteins appears to be quite independent of the presence of 

 blood pigments. The luteins contain carbon, hydrogen, and 

 oxygen, and have a yellowish or reddish colour. Exposed to 

 hght they undergo oxidation. They are soluble in alcohol, ether, 

 and chloroform, and in that respect resemble fats, from which 

 they differ, however, in their resistance towards alkahes. With 



^ By William Cramer. 



^ Piccolo and Lieben, " Studi nel corpo luteo della vacca," Giorn. sc. 

 natur. ed econ., vol. ii., 1866. Kiihne and Ayres, " On the Stable Colours 

 of the Betina," Journal of Physiology, vol. i., 1878. 



263 



