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BOOKS AND CURRENT LITERATURE 



following CQnclusions. Enzyme balance in the aleurone laj^er is dis- 

 turbed at germination and oxidase is succeeded bj' diastase with peroxi- 

 dase properties, the latter moving into the endosperm and accumulating 

 there as germination proceeds. Antioxidase is gradually and continu- 

 ously produced in the aleurone layer and prevents the auto-oxidation of 

 diastase. He was unable to separate by capillarity the secretory and 

 translocatory diastases of Brown and jMorris but suggests that the latter 

 may act as coenzjone to the former. 



A new conception of enzjTne balance is presented in the author's 

 suggestion that when invertase is excreted from the scutellar epithelium, 

 acting on the sucrose reserves of the embrj'o, there is a resultant disturb- 

 ance of balance which induces excretion of revertase on the opposite 

 side of the scutefiar layer. Similarly, excretion of diastase into the endo- 

 sperm is supposed to induce functioning of amjdocoagulase in the em- 

 bryo, sucrose being converted to starch by the latter enzjTne without 

 inversion. The fact that maximum secreting power of the epithelium 

 is not concomitant with, maximum diastase content, and thus cannot be 

 attributed to lack of diastase equilibrium between scutellum and endo- 

 sperm, is presented as evidence of glandular nature in cells of this tissue. 

 In view of the common requirement of oxygen for the production of 

 oxidase, diastase and amylocoagulase, it is suggested that the two last- 

 named enzjTnes are derived from the first or from a zjTnogen similar 

 to it. 



Significant results are presented from work on the potato, which show 

 collective increase but disturbed equilibrium of enzymes in wound peri- 

 derm as compared with normal parenchyma. Oxidase is more in evi- 

 dence in the former, and diastatic activity is here equal to that of the 

 parenchyma reinforced by extract of barley scutellum. Indications were 

 obtained of a difference between the tyrosinase of potato and of moulds, 

 and investigation of the enzyme content of sap and latex in phanerogams 

 indicated great variations at different stages of the development of the 

 individual. 



In summarizing, the author calls attention to the need of studjang the 

 details of balance not only of enzjTnes but also of enzjone sj'stems, 

 referring to the balance between enzymes and anti-enzymes as the 

 "Atlas of Life" on which gro'wiih and increase of tissues depends. He 

 considers the ascent or descent of components of this system as acting 

 as motive power for, and as checks upon, the cell mechanism, most 

 emphasis being placed upon the oxidase-peroxidase-antioxidase system 

 which controls the condition of the resting seed and spore. The assump- 



