DISSIMILARITY OF INNER AND OUTER PROTOPLASMIC SURFACES IN VALONIA

The protoplasm of Valonia macrophysa forms a delicate layer, only a few microns in thickness, which contains numerous chloroplasts and nuclei. The outer surface is in contact with the cell wall, the inner with the vacuolar sap. As far as microscopic observation goes, these two surfaces seem alike; but measurements of potential difference indicate that they are decidedly different. We find that the chain sap | protoplasm | sap gives about 14.5 millivolts, the inner surface being positive to the outer. In order to explain this we may assume that the protoplasm consists of layers, the outer surface, X, differing from the inner surface, Y, and from the body of the protoplasm, W. We should then have the unsymmetrical chain sap | X | W | Y | sap which could produce an electromotive force. If the two surfaces of such a very thin layer of protoplasm can be different, it is of fundamental significance for the theory of the nature of living matter.