THE FUNGUS, OR COLORLESS PLANT. 



1? 



cellulose, and it is mixed with a little water and min- 

 eral matter to make the cell-wall. The cell-jelly, or 

 protoplasm, is made of water, protein, mineral mat- 

 ters, and fats. We know what all these things are, ex- 

 cept the protein. The water is made of two substances 

 — hydrogen and oxygen ; the cellulose or woody 

 fibre is made of three kinds of matter — carbon, hydro- 

 gen, and oxygen; and the fat is made of carbon, 

 hydrogen, and oxygen. We know the protein con- 

 tains CARBON, HYDROGEN, OXYGEN, and NITROGEN, with 



either sulphur or phosphorus — perhaps both. It is 

 very common, because it is found in all living matter ; 

 there is no life without it, so it has been called " the 

 foundation of life," yet no one knows very much about 

 it. When you begin to make experiments for your- 

 selves, perhaps you can discover how it is made. I want 

 each one of you to remember this word "protein" be- 

 cause it is the name of the most important thing in 

 your body. The word means first or chief, and by-and- 

 by I want to show you how it is something about this 

 protein, or " foundation of life," that makes one of the 

 greatest differences between your body and your spoon- 

 ful of yeast. 



If you ask me what the carbon, oxygen, hydro- 

 gen, and nitrogen are, I can tell you only that they 

 belong to what are called the simple elements, that 



