﻿214 
  

  

  Prof. 
  B. 
  Moore 
  and 
  Mr. 
  T. 
  A. 
  Webster. 
  

  

  shows 
  that, 
  given 
  supplies 
  of 
  carbon 
  dioxide, 
  nitrogen, 
  and 
  oxygen, 
  in 
  presence 
  

   of 
  sunshine, 
  the 
  cell 
  can 
  form 
  its 
  own 
  oxides 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  and 
  build 
  these 
  into 
  

   amino-compounds, 
  although 
  at 
  a 
  much 
  slower 
  rate 
  than 
  when 
  oxides 
  of 
  

   nitrogen 
  are 
  supplied. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  confirmed 
  again 
  by 
  the 
  experiments 
  on 
  marine 
  algee 
  to 
  be 
  detailed 
  

   in 
  the 
  succeeding 
  paper. 
  In 
  the 
  sea-water 
  a 
  source 
  of 
  carbon 
  dioxide 
  already 
  

   exists 
  in 
  the 
  bicarbonate 
  of 
  magnesium 
  and 
  calcium 
  dissolved 
  in 
  it. 
  Hence 
  

   no 
  side-tube 
  is 
  necessary, 
  and 
  a 
  marine 
  alga 
  simply 
  shut 
  up 
  airtight 
  photo- 
  

   synthesises 
  and 
  fixes 
  both 
  carbon 
  and 
  nitrogen. 
  The 
  stimulating 
  and 
  growth- 
  

   quickening 
  effect 
  of 
  traces 
  of 
  oxides 
  of 
  nitrogen, 
  passing 
  from 
  the 
  air 
  to 
  

   dissolve 
  in 
  the 
  aqueous 
  medium 
  bathing 
  the 
  green 
  cell, 
  is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  great 
  

   rise 
  when 
  these 
  oxides 
  are 
  supplied, 
  as 
  in 
  Nos. 
  7 
  and 
  8. 
  

  

  The 
  amount 
  of 
  nitrogen 
  here 
  fixed 
  is 
  11-60 
  mgrm., 
  as 
  compared 
  with 
  2 
  - 
  90 
  

   when 
  elemental 
  nitrogen 
  is 
  the 
  sole 
  source. 
  

  

  Summary. 
  

  

  1. 
  The 
  primaeval 
  living 
  organism, 
  like 
  the 
  inorganic 
  colloidal 
  systems 
  which 
  

   were 
  its 
  precursors, 
  must 
  have 
  possessed 
  the 
  power 
  of 
  fixing 
  carbon 
  and 
  

   nitrogen 
  and 
  building 
  these 
  up 
  into 
  reduced 
  organic 
  compounds 
  with 
  uptake 
  

   of 
  energy. 
  The 
  source 
  of 
  the 
  energy 
  was 
  sunlight. 
  

  

  2. 
  This 
  power 
  is 
  still 
  possessed 
  by 
  the 
  lowliest 
  type 
  of 
  synthesising 
  cell 
  

   existing, 
  namely, 
  the 
  unicellular 
  alga. 
  

  

  3. 
  A 
  synthesising 
  cell 
  must 
  have 
  existed 
  prior 
  to 
  bacteria 
  and 
  other 
  fungi, 
  

   since 
  these 
  can 
  only 
  exist 
  upon 
  organic 
  matter, 
  and 
  the 
  primaeval 
  world 
  before 
  

   the 
  advent 
  of 
  life 
  could 
  contain 
  no 
  organic 
  matter. 
  

  

  4. 
  Their 
  specific 
  reactions 
  show 
  that 
  even 
  the 
  ultra-microscopic 
  filter- 
  

   passing 
  organisms 
  are 
  highly 
  organised 
  products 
  on 
  the 
  path 
  from 
  the 
  

   inorganic 
  towards 
  life, 
  and 
  it 
  hence 
  follows 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  long 
  intermediate 
  

   range 
  of 
  evolution. 
  The 
  first 
  synthesising 
  system 
  acting 
  upon 
  the 
  light 
  was 
  

   hence 
  probably 
  an 
  inorganic 
  colloidal 
  system 
  in 
  solution, 
  capable 
  of 
  adsorbing 
  

   the 
  simple 
  organic 
  substances 
  which 
  it 
  synthesised. 
  It 
  is 
  hence 
  futile 
  to 
  

   search 
  for 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  life 
  at 
  the 
  level 
  of 
  bacteria 
  and 
  torulse. 
  

  

  5. 
  As 
  complexity 
  increased 
  with 
  progressive 
  evolution 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  rapid 
  

   transformers 
  for 
  the 
  capture 
  of 
  the 
  energy 
  of 
  the 
  sunlight 
  came 
  into 
  

   existence. 
  Such 
  transformers 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  green 
  cell 
  for 
  fixation 
  of 
  both 
  

   carbon 
  ■ 
  and 
  nitrogen. 
  The 
  earlier 
  transformers 
  in 
  the 
  inorganic 
  colloidal 
  

   systems 
  can 
  only 
  utilise 
  light 
  of 
  short 
  wave-lengths 
  ; 
  the 
  later 
  transformers 
  

   in 
  the 
  living 
  cells 
  are 
  adapted 
  to 
  utilise 
  longer 
  wave-lengths, 
  and 
  the 
  very 
  

   short 
  wave-lengths, 
  which 
  are 
  lethal, 
  are 
  cut 
  off 
  by 
  their 
  colour 
  screens 
  of 
  

   chlorophyll, 
  etc. 
  

  

  