Evening star., 1938-12-29
Inside Of Living Cell
Photographed i,
By Scientist
Dr.. Cole Of BiophysieoI
Institution Describes
New Process

SlQeS OF CIle nucleus OF tDe living
cell. basic unit of life, was described
to the American Physical Society,
meeting at the Bureau of Standards
today, by DR.. Peter A. Cole of the
Washington Biophysical Institute.
This is by means of an ultraviolet
microscope. It is known that this
nucleus consists of two distinct
substances, one composed of pro-
tein molecules and the other Of a
mysterious so-called nucleic acid.
DR.. Cole has found that these alb
sorb two distinct wave bands of
ultraviolet light. When cell is
photographed in the invisible light
of the wave band absorbed by nu-
cleic acid all parts of it composed
of this substance show up black.
In this way Dr. Cole finds that
the nucleus acid is distributed in
distinct bands separated by pro-
teins in the chromosome, tubelike
container of the genes, the unit
mate units of heredity. Within
these black bands on his pictures
he is able to detect tiny globules,
presumably actors in some nasic
process of life of which there is yet
no understanding.
Photographed Alive.
In the past. DR.. Cole explained,
photographs of magnif1ed cells made
with visible light have been pos
sible only with the use of dyes which
have a different staining effect on
proteins and nucleic acid. This
meant that only dead cell could
be studied, since it would certainly
be killed by the staining process. BY
the new method the cell actually
is photographed alive, although,
since it has been torn loose from
the complex to which it belongs,
elowly dying.
!. This has enabled him, in Coop
Grafton with DR.. C. w. Metz OF the
Carnegie Institution of Washing
ton. to observe an hitherto unknown
basic phenomenon of the life proc
ess. When a chromosome is placed
In water solution it absorbs the
water and swells up like a balloon.
When salt is added it loses this wa
ter and returns to its normal banded
structure. This process can be re-
peated again and again, he said,
but gradually grows weaker as the
life energy goes out of the basic
tube of life.
Life Stimulator Made Poison.
Transforming of a life stimulator
into virulent poison by irradiating
it with broad band of ultraviolet
light was described by DR.. Alex
ander Hollander of the Washing
ton Biophysical Institute and DR..
Cole, in their report of another ex-
pertinent The substance is me-
thylcholanthrene, coal tar product,
which Is one of the most potent
chemicals known in the production
of cancer in rats.
Ordinarily when this is irradiated
with a band of ultraviolet radia-
ton, which it absorbs, it becomes
luminous, with a faint, violet light
emanating from it. BY means of this
Its presence can be detected in as
fine a dilution as one part in bill
lion. When the same substance is
placed in solution in contact with
yeast cells in the dark it apparently
acts as stimulator to cell division
and growth of colony. This same
ability may account in part for its
cancer-producing ability.
But, Dr.. Cole says, when tiny
amount of methylcholanthrene is
placed in a yield solution and then
given the ultraviolet radiation, it
does not become luminous, and the
yeast cells, instead of being stimu-
lated, die very quickly, The energy
which ordinarily would have gone to
the production of fuorescence ap-
parently becomes an agent of death.
Bombardment of Cancer.
Heavy artillery bombardment of
cancer may be made possible by
device for securing concentrated
beams of fast neutrons described to
the society yesterday by DR.. Paul
e. Aebersold of the University of
California.
The neutrons, heavy, unchanged
primal particles of matter found in
the nuclei Of atoms, are obtained
by bombarding target of the metal
be-ylium with nuclei of the atoms
Of heavy hydrogen by means of
cyclotron, the merry-go-round
wonder worker of atom research.
OF late some extraordinary results
have been claimed from the treat
ment of some forms of malignant
growths with neutron bombardment,
compared with results obtained with
X-rays.
This has not been entirely veri-
fed and now is the subject of in
tensive research under the direction
of the National Cancer Council of
the United States Public Health
Service. If the results are favor
able the device described by DR..
Aebersold should prove valuable
hospital weapon. One Of the great
difficulties has been the suitable
concentration and aiming of the
neutrons.
Within the path of his beam, the
California physicist said. the ioniza-
ton produced by the neutrons is
100 times greater than outside 1t.
So potent are the biological effects
that within two hours all the hair
is taken off rabbit placed in the
beams path.
Stratosphere Robot Shown.
A new kind of radiometeorograph,
unbelevably sensitive stratosphere-
probing robot, was described to the
society today by Bureau of Stand
ards physicists. The instrument
consists of small, automatic radio
device attached to free rubber bal
loon which sends back to earth
more or less continuous record of
pressure, temperature and humidity.
A rotary electric CONTRACTOR is driven
by a tiny electric motor weighing
about ounces and capable of run
ming for several days from a single
flashight cell of the type used in
fountain pen flashlights. As this