y 
THE FORMATION OF PROTEIDS IN PLANT-CELLS. 5 1 
groups CH 3 , CH 2 , CHOH, CH 2 OH can be used as sources of 
carbon, if they neither act poisonously nor offer too much 
resistance to the attacks of bacteria. If the atomic group 
CH : CH is utilised, as in the case of fumaric acid, we might 
easily explain this by the conversion into CII 2 .CH 2 OH, a 
molecule of water being taken up. In the following table 
are enumerated a number of compounds that form very good 
sources(I), moderatly good sources(II), very poor sources (III) 
and such, as far as observations reach, cannot be utilised as 
sources of carbon(IV). 
I 
11 
III 
IV 
Glycerin 
Methyl alcohol 
Phenol 
Pinaeon 
Mannite 
Aethylenglycol 
Acetoxim 
Sulfonal 
Sugars 
Aceton 
Diacetonamin 
Amidoacetal 
Lactic acid 
Acetic acid 
Valerianic acid 
Oxalic acid 
Succinic ,, 
Fumaric ,, 
Maleic ,, 
Meconic ,, 
Tartaric ,, 
Pyruvic ,, 
Citraconic ,, 
Picric ,, 
Citric ,, 
Laevulinic ,, 
Benzoic ,, 
Antipyrin 
Betaïn 
Glycocoll 
Lecithin 
Dimethyl-oxypy- 
rimidin 
Alanin 
Methylamin 
Trimethylamin 
Aethylendiamin 
Leucin 
Cholin 
Strychnin 
Pyridin 
Asparagin 
Allantoin 
Hexamethylen- 
amin 
Urea 
Glutamin 
Coffein 
Amidobenzoic 
acid 
Parabanic acid 
KreatinU 
Methyl cyanide 
Glyoxylic acid 
Guanidin* 
A most remarkable phenomenon in regard to bacterial deve¬ 
lopment (therefore also to the formation of protein) was first 
observed by F. Hüppe , 1 2) and later confirmed by Munro and by 
Winogradzky, that the nitrifying bacteria of the soil may develop 
in solutions destitute of organic matter, and may utilise ammo ¬ 
nium carbonate. Hüppe assumed here a decomposition of wate r, 
1) Th. Bokorny and myself have made a series of experiments to nourish also 
algae with organic matters, and observed a much more favorable result with kreatin 
and hydantoin than with leucin or urethan. Recently Th. Bokorny extended these 
investigations to a larger number of combinations, showing that algae may well 
utilise organic matters, although they do not require them for supporting their life. 
(Chemikerzeitg. Jan. 1894). 
2) Hüppe , Biol. Centralbl.7, 702. 
