physical chemistry of living tissues' and life processes

357 Pages·2013·9.84 MB·English

PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY
OF LIVING TISSUES' AND
LIFE PROCESSES
R. BEUTNER.
November, 1932.
PHYSICA·L CHEMISTRY
OF LIVING TISSUES AND
LIFE PROCESSES
As Studied by Artificial Imitation
of Their Single Phases
BY
R. BEUTNER, M.D., PH.D.,
Professor of Pharmacology.} School of Medicine,
Unt"verst"ty of LJout'sville
"Life in all its complexity seems to
be no more than one of the innumerable
.properties of the compounds of carbon."
LONDON
BAILLI:BRE, TINDALL & COX
8 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, W.C. 2
1933
B. L. No. 64.
Imperial Institute of Veterinary Research
:i--olmratocy. 6 ,:1.' 0 (5 B E
I II _l - t C-I ;~ ,~ r .
Library.
Register No .. ~ .. !11 Room No.
Inward No. ~4':; I) Shelf No.
Received. 10-0-190·. .. I Book No.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, 1933
PRINTED IN AMERICA
DEDICATED
IN ADMIRATION AND GRATITUDE
TO
PROFESSOR JOHN J. ABEL
OF JOIINS HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY
PREFACE
The writer is much indebted to numerous friends and colleagues
for valuable suggestions, particularly to Dr. H. G. Barbour of Yale
University, without whose unceasing encouragement this work
would not have been accomplished, to Dr. R. Chambers of New York
University, Dr. Peyton Rous and Dr. D. D. van Slyke of the Rocke~
feller Institute, Dr. E. Gellhorn of the University of Oregon and
Dr. H. Freundlich and Dr. F. Haber of Berlin for their expert advice;
also to Dr. W. F. Hamilton of George Washington University and
to Drs. S. I. Kornhauser, S. E. Johnson and G. E. Wakerlin of the
University of Louisville; to Dr. Jos. Lomer of Fordh~m Hospital,
New York City, and to many others.
After this text has become accessible by publication to a larger
circle, the writer hopes that his readers will likewise let him know
their opinions and criticisms, by writing to his address given below.
For a further discussion of the problems in question, informal gather-
ings will be arranged yearly, if possible. All those who are inclined
to participate will, please, address the author, School of Medicine,
Louisville, Ky. .
The text of this book can be readily understoo! by the average
medical student. A mathematical treatment of theories has been
avoided in every case (except in the Appendix).
Lectures on these subjects have been delivered not only to medical
students at Louisville, but calso, on invitation, at the Marine Biologi-
cal Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass.,.at Bellevue Medical College a.nd
Washington Square College of New York University, and at the
Medical Center of Columbia University, New York.
Finally, the writer begs leave to state that this volume contains
reports on original investigations which' are described here for the
first time.
R. BEuTNER.
November, 1932.
vii
CONTENTS
Introduction: Life as a Scientific Problem.............................. 1
The First Attempt at Approach: Membranes, Osmosis and Related Forces
The Gap between the Living and the Inanimate World; Artificial Struc-
tures Produced by Osmotic Forces............ .............. .... .... 11
Brief Outline of the Most Elementary Laws of Physical Chemistry Re-
lating to Osmotic Forces, Formation of Ions, etc... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23
Evidence to Indicate the Presence of Osmotic Pressure in Li'ving Tissue in
Some Cases.-In Other Cases: A Flow of Fluids and Solutes is De-
scribed to Occur in Living Organisms Independent of, or Opposed to
Osmotic Forces; Attempts at Explaining this Flow as a Result of
Electrical Forces ......... , ....... , .... , , .... , .. , , .. , . , . . . . . . . . . . .. 35
The Importance of "Oceanic" Salt Mixtures for the Maintenance of
Membrane Permeability and of "Life."-The Physicochemical Causes
Underlying Permeability Changes as Studied on Emulsion Membranes.
-Conclusions Concerning the Origin of Life on the Earth ....... ,... 72
The Formation of Stratified Structures as a Result of Diffusion in a Gel
and of Reversible Chemical Precipitation Reactions Occurring Simul-
taneously ...................... , .... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 99
The Second Attempt at Approach: Life Processes Related to Crystallization
or Due to Surface Forces
Microscopic Structures Which Are Formed in Colloids, Even in Non-
living Ones, .. , ... , ............. , ............... , . , ... , ... , ...... ,. 109
An Explanation of the Origin of Such Structures as the Result of Forces
Similar to Those Acting in Crystallization.-The Tracing of Crystal-
line Units in Substances Which Have Been Produced by Vital Growth.
-Surface Forces as a Result of Molecular Orientation; Adsorption
in Surface Layers, .. , . , , ... , , .... , .............. , ..... , , . , ......... 119
Cell Respiration as a Chemical Reaction Occurring in Adsorbed Layers.
-Vital Movement Due to Surface Forces; Vital Movement Due to
Other Molecular Actions ........................ , .............. , ... 149
The Third Attempt at Approach: Electrical Currents in Tissues and Their
Relation to Life Processes
The Nature of the Single Electric Potential Differences Which Occur in
Living Tissue; The Electromotive Effect of Concentration as Demon-
strating a Certain Resemblance to Metallic Electrodes of Living and
of Artificial Membranes ......................... , ...... , . . . . . . . . . .. 189
ix
PREFACE
The Physicochemical Laws Which Elucidate This Similarity to Metals,
Even Though the Membranes Are Second Class Conductors ......... 215
The Make-up of the Vital Battery System.-The Relation of Electromo-
tive Forces in Tissue to Stainability and to Metabolism ............ 227
Stimulation as the Result of an Electric Polarization of the Phasebound-
aries in Tissues, in Other Words, as a "Charging of the Vital Battery
System."-Traveling Waves of Polarization on Passive Iron Wires and
Their Resemblance to the Traveling Wave of Excitation in the Nerve.
-Experiments Which Elucidate the Action of a "Pacemaker" as it
Occurs in the Heart.-The "Salt Bridge" Experiment.-Conclusions
Regarding the Theory of Narcosis .................................. 245
Outlook to Future Possibilities or Development
Artificial Parthenogenesis.-Mitogenetie Rays ......................... , 279
Concluding Remarks
Possible Application of Physicochemical Methods of Investigation to
the Explanation of Cerebral Activity.-Possibilities of Development
in a Remote Future ................................................. 292
Appendix
New Investigations on Membrane Equilibria ............................. 297
AUTHOR INDEX ......................................•........... , .... 325
SUBJECT INDEX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 331