114 The American Naturalist. [February, 
sition products. In this connection, one of the most instructive 
series of changes adenin undergoes outside the body 1s that 
induced by long-continued warming with dilute hydrochloric 
acid, in which it is completely broken down into ammonia, 
carbonic acid, formic acid and glycocoll or amido-acetic acid. 
Xanthin and hypoxanthin furnish the same products by like 
treatment : 
C,H,N,+ 8H,0 =4NH,-+C0,-+2H-COOH + CH,-NH,-COOH 
Adenin. Formic Acid. Gly cocoll. 
C,H,N,O+7H,0—4NH,+C0,-+2H-COOH + CH,-NH,-COOH 
Hypoxanthin. 
0,H,N,0,+ 6H,0O=3NH,-+2C0,-+ H-COOH-+CH,NH,-CO0# 
anthin. 
Again, adenin can be easily decomposed completely into 
carbonic acid and ammonia, but the most striking fact in COP 
nection with this body, as already stated, is its easy converti- 
bility into cyanide of potash, indicating as it does the close 
relationship existing between this substance and the cyanog® 
group. | 
In attempting to ascribe a function to adenin that shall 
correspond to the accepted function of the cell nucleus, a 
must have proof that this substance, under conditions W s 
obtain in the body can readily pass into new forms easly 
capable of undergoing reactions. As has been shown by °% 
periment, the conditions for vigorous reduction processes ae 
present in every cell. Reduction gives a blow by which t i 
oxygen-free adenin may be transformed into a new body ba¥ 
ing a strong avidity for oxygen, and which may in turn i 
transformed through the laying on of more molecules into A 
body resembling, if not identical with, azalminic 8&0 d 
Adenin, for example, dissolved in dilute hydrochlori¢ “a 
and treated with zinc is quickly decomposed by the reducing 
action of the nascent hydrogen evolved into what is ovid 
azulminic acid C;H,N,O, a derivative of dicyan. If dicyan re 
| CN 
