Evening star., 1935-10-22
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field.
Laboratory and Study.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

Genes. the infinitesimally tiny "atoms"
Of life, serve also as the yeasts Of body
growth.
In the developing organism they act
as chemical engines, making possible
growth processes, but remaining them
selves unaltered, according to the theory
Of organic maturaton propounded by DR..
Charles B. Davenport. noted geneticist of
the Carnegie Institution of Washington.
These organic particles, so small that
they still are beyond the range Of the
most powerful microscopes. are believed
to be the sole vehicles of inheritance.
DR.. Davenports conception of their
double role goes far to clear up the
complex mystery OF basic life processes.
In report just issued from the Car
negie Institution, DR.. Davenport refers
to the long series of changes which a
child passes through during the period
when it is being transformed from a
minute, spherical egg to an infant ca
pable Of complicated and useful move
ments and endowed with the capacity
for further growth. Something, he in
sists, must control this remarkable series
Of orderly changes.
The enzyme-genes. he says, are found
chiefly in the egg, where are the sub
stances which provide the building mate
rial for the child's body. But these ma
ter!als themselves are incapable of act
ing, any more than a pile of lumber Is
unable to arrange itself into house. The
activity is brought about by the genes
which are present in the chromosomes of
every cell.
DR.. Davenportis concept of the growth
mechanism provides an adequate ex-
PLANTATION Of the mystery of physical
maturation-the delayed development
and functioning of various organs until
they are required in the complex life
pattern.
In this respect, DR.. Davenport believes,
the genes are like the ferments which
have the remarkable property of causing
chemical changes to take place in other
substances without changing themselves
in the process. Substances having this
property are called engines, from the
Greek word meaning ''in yeast" The
first member Of the group to be recog-
nized was found in yeast. Just as the
engines of body secretions play domi-
nant role In metabolism so. DR.. Daven-
port holds, vital functions in the differ
entiated development of the organism
are performed likewise by the gene
engines within the cells which act to
produce, with enormous rapidity, the
substances in each cell at the time they
are required.
To account for the way in which these
gene-enzymes interact with cell sub
stances in the process Of development,
DIR. Davenport outlines q theory based
upon the conception that the genes are
molecules having different shapes and
each having q negative electrical charge.
Under such circumstances any molecule
in the surrounding substance having q
positive charge will be attracted toward
the gene molecules, but can connect with
them only when their structure Is Of q
shape that permits them to interlock
with the complicated shape Of the gene.
If interlocking is accomplished. DR..
Davenport believes, the combination may
acquire lessened negative charge. This
reduced negative charge may, however,
be suficient to attract . second kind of
molecule which will interlock with the
first. Thus two molecules are brought
together. Their charges are neutralized
and the resulting neutral compound
malaaals sapASates Aaw NJ 500 ND