Evening star., 1942-04-24
Animal Ability 10 Use
Carbon Dioxide Found
First Time by Chemist
Physiological Reaction
Is Hailed os Link
With Plant Kingdom
Nv THOMAS n. HENRY,
star Staff ccrreaporcert.

MEMPHIS. Tenn. April 73.--Dis.
eovery of an hitherto unknown lini
between plant and animal king.
dorns. a physiological reaction which
apparently is one OF the keystone.
OF all animal life. was announced
before the American Chemical So
ciety, meeting here.
Plants depend for life and growth
on the process Of phtosynthesis
They are able to utilize the energy
Of sunlight absorbed by the green
coloring material in their leaves 10
create starehes and sugars out OF
the extremely minute amounts OF
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
and the hydrogen in water absorbed
By their roots
These starches and sugars form
the body OF plant The carbon
is taken out Of the carbon dioxide
molecule and the oxygen released
into the atmosphere. Otherwise
the supply OF this life gas probably
long since would have been depleted
far below the point where 1t would
be possible for animals to exist.
Animals take up the life cycle at
this point. They eat the plants
OF eat other animals who have
eaten plants. The starches and
sugars are the fuel OF the slow fires
Of life. The result OF this burning
Ae - -
again. This is breathed into the
atmosphere TO help feed the plants.
Animal Use of Dioxide Found.
Now. according TO the announce
nent by DR.. Earl A. Evans Of the
University of Chicago, 1t has been
found for the first time that ami
mails. doubtless including men. have
q limited power to synthesize their
own foods out of carbon dioxide.
the ability hitherto considered re-
stricted TO plants. The breakdown
Of food produces more carbon di-
oxide than is discarded in breathing.
A part of tin some cases q con-
siderable parts taken up by GER
tain cells in the liver and made into
glycogen. or blood sugar, which Is
carried TO the cells and returned.
This discovery was made by using
In food small amounts OF RADIO
active carbon dioxide, first prepared
by the Carnegie Institution of
Washington two years ago, It's prog
ress could be traced through the
body. DR.. Evans and his associates,
Drs. Louis Slotin and Birgit Venues
land of the University of Chicago,
have prepared powdered extracts of
liver with mixtures Of certain body
chemicals which show this reaction
In an exaggerated form.
An immediate practical result
comes from the new light shed on
the role of vitamin B1 in health. It
was found that additions of one
form of this vitamin with the pow-
dered extract greatly increased the
carbon dioxide utilization. The
probability is that this is one Of It's
functions in the human body.
The work Of DR.. Evans, 1t was
stressed at the meeting, essentially
revolutionizes thinking on the role
OF carbon dioxide in animal life and
may open new chapter in the his
tory of medicine.
U. 8. Calcium Lack Stressed.
DR.. W. H. Strowd of the National
Soft Wheat Millers' Association
stressed before the meeting that the
American diet is grossly deficient in
the element calcium-essential for
teeth and bones.
The element. he explained, is con-
tanned in many foods. but chiefly
In milk. The National Nutrition
Council, he said. recommends from
q gram TO gram-and-a-half of
calcium q day In the human diet.
Recent surveys have shown that rs
per cent Of the populace are not
getting this minimum The typical
American family drinks only about
half as much milk as Department
Of Agriculture specialists deem
essential to health.
Calcium is an optional ingredient
OF the new enriched fiours. It has
always been. DR., Strowd said, an
important part OF self-rising flours
and persons in country districts
where these f1ours have had their
largest sales have shown consider
ably less deficiency.