Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-03-05
PROTEIN MATTER.

Every living cell. be it animal, vege-
table or bacterial, must feed or cease
to exist. The one phenomenon al
ways manifested by living matter and
never by nonliving matter Is metab.
olism. Metabolism consists in con-
slant traffic in energy by means of q
certain persistent interchange Of en-.
ergy bearing elements by barter
among the individual cells composing
the living body.
Nitrogen seems to be the master
element within the living molecule.
because in all cases the living organ
ism Is found to consist of one o. more
nitrogen-containing cells. The nitro
gen cell content is known as proto-
plasm and exists as wonderfully
complex molecule generally in the
form of a colloid.
The only essential and constant dif-
ference between living and nonliving
matter Is that within the molecules or
living matter there is this constant
metabolism making for continuous
! interchange or flow of energy, while
in the nonliving no such process oper-
ates.
In all instances protein or proto-
plasm is capable Of growth and multi
plication, but to do this it must assim-
ilate and eliminate; that is to say,
1t must receive and discard. The Nv
ing molecule not only absorbs, but 1t
chemically alters what it absorbs.
! That is to say, 1t adapts the atoms to
it's needs by rearranging them Into
new combinations; or, in other words
it assimilates and eliminates. In ef-
feet, it feeds and excretes exactly as
does any human Individual. Obvious
ly, then, a cell Is limited in it's food
supply to that which lies within It's
reach, and there must, therefore. be
a certain relationship between the
cell and the medium in which 1T ex-
| lists. l.'7H
| When matter becomes endowed
| with life it does not cease to be mat
ter, neither does 1t lose its inherent
properties It simply becomes exceed
ingly active or unstable, but 1t Is
never released from the laws that
| govern it's structure, its attractions
and reactions No animal has the
I ability individually directly to assimi-
! late the energy or heat locked up IN
| elemental mineral matter. First
groups of strengthening mineral
molecules are torn from nonliving
matter by the chemical activity and
afinities of the lower forms Of life,
the primitive forms Of protein matter
existing in plants and in the interior
of these protein bodies the mineral
molecular atoms are rearranged by
ferments and thereby quickened.
Thereafter their interchanges and re-
actions are very rapid. It is quite
certain that these ferments have their
origin in the heterogeneous metabolism
| Of the living molecule, and that each
living molecule has many of these nj
trogenous groups known as receptors'
which are in effect hands-atom
groups in a cell by means of which
foreign substances, toxins, food mole
| cules and the like are anchored to the
cell.
| It Is these heterogeneous bodies,
enzymes. ferments or catalyzers that
| bridge the chasm between the non
living sources of energy and the liv'
ing cell; and it is a break in this
chain and the consequent disturbance
in our relationship with the sources
! of energy that interferes with the
free flow of energy or life through
our tissues. thereby creating those
conditions of functional disturbance
and the chemical conditions neces-
sary for that state known as disease
and which sooner or later are quite
certain to develop into some form OF
infection or organic disease.
It is in the elimination from our
grain foods of the nitrogenized min
eral molecule bearing it's store of lat
ent but easily secured energy that we
may expect to find the source of the
many thin little legs, the many pale,
pinched little cheeks and the luster-
less eyes. 1t is in the elimination OF
these inorganic, insoluble' elements
we shall undoubtedly find the cause
of the lack OF material for the manu-
facture of the protective materials Sc
creted by our wonderful ductless
glands which control all our involun'
tary vital functions and insure our
immunity against invading protoplas-
mic enemies. - s>. ~ ~ <
No protein bodies, such as bacteria
are, can live except in favorable
chemical solutions; they, like our
selves, are dependent on a constant
flow Of food energy. and the adjust
ment in the normal human body
makes it impossible for bacteria to
exist therein. Hence 1t must be dis.
turbance in this vital flow. In our
chemical balance, that makes US sub
ject to infections as we'll as to those
deficiencies falling under the head of
"neurotics" and around which are
grouped our Inconsistencies, our hay
\ fever and other similar victims.