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  The 
  Relation 
  of 
  Spermatozoa 
  to 
  Certain 
  Electrolytes. 
  

  

  mutual 
  relationship 
  between 
  the 
  surface 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  egg 
  and 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  

   spermatozoon, 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  that 
  many 
  cases 
  of 
  artificial 
  hybridisation 
  may 
  

   find 
  a 
  simple 
  solution. 
  One 
  fact 
  is 
  quite 
  certain, 
  namely, 
  that 
  when 
  fertilisa- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  effected 
  in 
  sea 
  water 
  to 
  which 
  a 
  certain 
  amount 
  of 
  acid 
  has 
  been 
  added,, 
  

   the 
  surface 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  spermatozoon 
  has 
  been 
  definitely 
  reduced 
  below 
  the 
  

   normal. 
  

  

  It 
  should 
  be 
  remembered 
  that 
  when 
  both 
  eggs 
  and 
  sperm 
  are 
  exposed 
  to 
  a 
  

   solution 
  of 
  a 
  definite 
  P 
  H 
  both 
  gametes 
  will 
  be 
  affected 
  to 
  a 
  certain 
  extent, 
  but 
  

   the 
  spermatozoa 
  will 
  be 
  very 
  much 
  more 
  affected 
  than 
  the 
  eggs, 
  owing 
  to 
  

   their 
  much 
  smaller 
  size 
  ; 
  also, 
  the 
  egg 
  can 
  react 
  much 
  more 
  strongly 
  to 
  the 
  

   abnormal 
  conditions, 
  and 
  by 
  an 
  adjustment 
  of 
  its 
  normal 
  metabolism 
  can, 
  

   conceivably, 
  counteract 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  an 
  excess 
  of 
  hydrogen 
  ion 
  on 
  its 
  surface 
  

   charge.* 
  

  

  If 
  eggs 
  of 
  one 
  species 
  and 
  . 
  spermatozoa 
  of 
  another 
  are 
  placed 
  in 
  such 
  

   abnormal 
  conditions, 
  there 
  will 
  be 
  a 
  differential 
  action 
  on 
  the 
  two 
  units, 
  

   because 
  the 
  surfaces 
  of 
  one 
  species 
  will 
  be 
  altered 
  to 
  a 
  different 
  extent 
  to 
  

   those 
  of 
  another. 
  

  

  Again, 
  the 
  antagonistic 
  action 
  of 
  mixtures 
  of 
  sperm 
  of 
  two 
  different 
  species 
  

   may 
  quite 
  likely 
  be 
  due 
  to 
  the 
  changes 
  induced 
  on 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  

   spermatozoa 
  by 
  the 
  changes 
  produced 
  in 
  the 
  hydrogen 
  ion 
  concentration 
  of 
  

   the 
  suspension 
  by 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  CO2. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  near 
  future 
  it 
  is 
  proposed 
  to 
  investigate 
  the 
  surface 
  charges 
  of 
  the 
  

   spermatozoa 
  of 
  different 
  species, 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  determining 
  whether 
  the 
  

   possession 
  of 
  a 
  critical 
  surface 
  charge 
  controls 
  the 
  fertilising 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  

   sperm 
  for 
  eggs 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  and 
  of 
  different 
  species. 
  Since 
  performing 
  the 
  

   above 
  experiments 
  I 
  have 
  become 
  acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  Girard 
  and 
  

   others 
  (5 
  and 
  6) 
  on 
  red 
  blood 
  corpuscles 
  and 
  on 
  bacteria. 
  Girard 
  has 
  shown 
  

   that 
  very 
  low 
  concentrations 
  of 
  lanthanum 
  decrease 
  the 
  rate 
  at 
  which 
  

   bacteria 
  migrate 
  towards 
  the 
  anode 
  in 
  an 
  electric 
  field. 
  Further, 
  red 
  blood 
  

   corpuscles, 
  when 
  suspended 
  in 
  isotonic 
  Einger 
  solution, 
  behave 
  as 
  negatively 
  

   charged 
  particles. 
  If, 
  however, 
  they 
  are 
  suspended 
  in 
  acidified 
  saccharose 
  

   solution, 
  their 
  surface 
  charge 
  is 
  reversed 
  and 
  they 
  become 
  positive. 
  In. 
  

   Einger 
  solution, 
  however, 
  it 
  is 
  much 
  more 
  difficult 
  to 
  reverse 
  the 
  surface 
  

   charge 
  by 
  means 
  of 
  acid. 
  

  

  The 
  effect 
  of 
  the 
  hydrogen 
  ion 
  upon 
  the 
  activity 
  of 
  spermatozoa 
  forms 
  the 
  

   subject 
  of 
  an 
  interesting 
  paper 
  by 
  Cohn 
  (3), 
  which 
  has 
  just 
  come 
  to 
  my- 
  

   notice. 
  

  

  * 
  The 
  relatively 
  greater 
  sensitivity 
  of 
  spermatozoa 
  to 
  changes 
  in 
  hydroxyl 
  ion. 
  

   concentration 
  has 
  been 
  deduced 
  from 
  other 
  facts 
  by 
  Moore 
  and 
  other 
  -workers. 
  

  

  