630 Price . — Some Studies on the Structure of the Plant Cell 
The process of germination of certain Fungus spores, followed by the 
method, showed the gradual conversion of the gel contents of the spore 
into a hydrosol (on absorption of water) : later a formation of a gel may 
occur again. 
Of the structures present in the cell, the nucleus and chloroplast are 
probably to be regarded as specialized parts of the plasma, with a hydrogel 
structure, and a limiting membrane of a certain type. Only in very 
favourable cases can the nucleus be studied, however. 
Particles and vesicular bodies — here called ' sap particles * — are usually 
present in the cell-sap, and exhibit a continuous Brownian movement. 
They generally increase in number with decreasing vitality of the cell. 
The effects of plasmolysis were studied in various cases with different 
reagents — electrolytes and non-electrolytes, and so on, and some features of 
considerable interest were made out. An outer layer with a much finer 
structure than the general parts of the protoplast was usually evident on 
plasmolysis, and this layer seemed to be the part concerned in the forma- 
tion of the fine protoplasmic fibrils, which often connect the plasmolysed 
protoplast with the wall of the cell. The presence of a ‘ Hautschicht 5 
seems to be quite definite. Vesicular plasmolysis also indicates that 
a similar layer exists on the inside of the protoplast, against the vacuole. 
The fibrils were also studied in detail, and indicate some interesting 
structures. 
An attempt was made to study the action of fixing and coagulating 
agents from a comparative point of view, but here there were difficulties in 
application, so that the results are by no means complete. Comparatively 
little is revealed as to the general action during fixation, except that 
a change to an opalescent hydrogel occurs. The rate of formation and 
the structure of the gel differ in different material, and with different 
coagulating agents. 
The Botany School, 
Cambridge. 
Literature. 
Andrews, F. M. : Protoplasmic Streaming in Mucor. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, vol. xxxix, 
Oct. 1912, p. 455. 
Bechold : Die Kolloide in Biologie und Medizin. Steinkopff, Dresden, 1911. 
Bower, F. O. : On Plasmolysis and its Bearings upon Relations between Cell-wall and Protoplasm. 
Quart. Journ. Micros. Science, New Series, vol. xxiii, 1883, pp. 151-68. 
Chodat, R., et Bourbier, A. M. : Sur la Plasmolyse et la Membrane plasmique. Journal de 
Botanique, t. xii, 1898, No. 8, pp. 118-32. 
Czapek, F. : Biochemie der Pflanzen. Vol. i, Gustav Fischer, Jena, 1905. 
• : Uber eine Methode zur direkten Bestimmung der Oberflachenspannungen der Plasma- 
haut von Pflanzenzellen. G. Fisher, Jena, 1911. 
Darling, C. A. : Mitosis in Living Cells. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, vol. xxxix, 1912, p. 407. 
