70 Prof. J. Keynolds Green and Mr. H. Jackson. [Mar. 22, 



The conclusions arrived at in 1888 with reference to the changes set up 

 during germination were the following : — 



" 1. The reserve materials in the endosperm of Bicinus communis consist 

 chiefly of oil and proteid matters, the latter being a mixture of globulin 

 and albumose. 



" 2. The changes during germination are partly due to enzyme action, there 

 being three enzymes present in the germinating seed : one is a protease 

 resembling trypsin, the second splits the oil into fatty acid and glycerine, 

 the third is a rennet enzyme. 



" 3. At least two of these, and therefore presumably all of them, are in 

 a zymogen condition in the resting seed, and become active in consequence 

 of the metabolic activity set up in the cells by the conditions leading to 

 germination, especially moisture and warmtb. 



" 4. The changes caused by the enzymes are followed by others, due to 

 the metabolism of the cells, these being processes of oxidation. 



" 5. The embryo exercises some influence on the latter, setting up as it 

 develops a stimulus probably of a physiological description. 



" 6. The result of these various processes is to bring about the following 

 decompositions : — 



" The proteids are by the enzyme converted into peptone, and later into 

 asparagin. 



" The oil is split by the glyceride enzyme into fatty acid and glycerine ; 

 the latter gives rise to sugar, and the former to a vegetable acid 

 which is soluble in water and in ether, is crystalline, and has the 

 power of dialysis. 



" 7. Absorption in all cases takes place by dialysis. 



" 8. The appearance of starch and of oil in the embryo or the young 

 plant is due to a secondary formation, and not to a translocation of either." 



Formation of Lecithin. 



The advances in our knowledge of the metabolic processes of plants that 

 have been made during the interval that has elapsed since the publication 

 of this paper, and the new methods of experiment that have been introduced, 

 suggested that the work which was admittedly incomplete and tentative 

 should be taken up again. There remained especially the question of the 

 meaning of the reserve supplies of phosphorus and the part which they 

 take in the general metabolism accompanying germination. The aggregates 

 of phosphates referred to as the globoids of the aleurone grain undergo a 

 change during the process, by virtue of which they slowly pass into solution. 



