414 Dr. A. Compton. The Influence of the Hydrogen 



the acidity the less heat is the enzyme able to support before being entirely 

 disabled. Herein lies the explanation of the existence of the two lower 

 curves of fig. 2, in spite of the indications of fig. 1, which shows that for the 

 H+ concentrations of 10— 3 ' 2 and lO" 3 ' no activity on the part of the 

 enzyme seems possible. The reason is, that what was the optimum 

 temperature for the natural reaction, +47° — at which temperature the 

 results set forth in fig. 1 were determined — is no longer the optimum 

 temperature for the H + concentrations giving rise to the curves in question, 

 but is instead a temperature of destruction. 



i i 1 1 1 1 1 n n i u*i t w ili I 



lO 20 JO 4-0 50 6O 



Temperature > 



H + coiu?erLtratiori5 varying between. 10 6 ' §• 



That the optimum temperature of the ferment diminishes as the H + 

 concentration is increased beyond that of the chemical optimum may be 

 stated otherwise thus : As the H + concentration is diminished from 

 extreme values to values bordering on that of the chemical optimum, the 

 optimum temperature steadily increases. An interesting question now 

 arises. What would be the effect on the optimum temperature of 

 diminishing the H + concentration beyond that of the chemical optimum? 

 Would the optimum temperature under, these circumstances continue to 

 increase, in view of the fact that further diminution of the H + con- 



