Activation of the Egg by Bases 



155 



NH4OH the limit is nearly at the same point as in our previous 

 experiment. 



8. It seemed natural to connect this difference in the 

 behavior of NaOH and NH4OH with the difference in the rate 

 of their diffusion into the unfertiUzed egg. If the rate of 

 diffusion of NaOH is extremely slow, and that of NH4OH fast, it 

 is natural that the maximal rate of oxidation should be reached 

 with a lower concentration of NH4OH than of NaOH. We 

 determined the consumption of oxygen for the same lot of 

 eggs for eight consecutive hours in 50 c.c. sea-water+1.0 c.c. 

 N/10 NaOH. Table XXIX gives the result. This shows that 



TABLE XXIX 



Consumption op Oxygen by Unfertilized Eggs at 18° in 50 c.c. 

 Normal Sba-Water+1.0 c.c. N/10 NaOH 



the longer the NaOH acts upon the egg the higher the amount 

 of oxygen becomes which is consumed per hour. This would 

 agree with the assiunption that the NaOH diffuses slowly into 

 the egg and that the increase in the rate of oxidations in the 

 unfertilized egg is determined by the amount of base which 

 has diffused into the egg. 



It was expected that since NH4OH is very soluble in the 

 egg, i.e., diffuses rapidly into it, its maximum effect would be 

 reached during the first hour. This was found to be true, as 

 Table XXX shows. 



