=10.= Let us now take some fresh living threads and mount them in
water. Place a small drop of dilute glycerine on the slip at one side
of the cover glass, and with a bit of filter paper at the other side
draw out the water. The glycerine will flow under the cover glass and
come in contact with the spirogyra threads. Glycerine absorbs water
promptly. Being in contact with the threads it draws water out of the
cell cavity, thus causing the layer of protoplasm which lines the
inside of the cell wall to collapse, and separate from the wall,
drawing the chlorophyll band inward toward the center also. The wall
layer of protoplasm can now be more distinctly seen and its granular
character observed.
We have thus employed three tests to demonstrate that this substance
with which we are dealing shows the reactions which we know by
experience to be given by protoplasm. We therefore conclude that this
colorless and partly granular, slimy substance in the spirogyra cell
is protoplasm, and that when we have performed these experiments, and
noted carefully the results, we have _seen_ protoplasm.
[Illustration: Fig. 4. Cell of spirogyra before treatment with
glycerine.]
[Illustration: Fig. 5. Cells of spirogyra after treatment with
glycerine.]
=11. Earlier use of the term protoplasm.=—Early
students of the living matter in the cell considered it
to be alike in substance, but differing in density; so
the term protoplasm was applied to all of this living
matter. The nucleus was looked upon as simply a denser
portion of the protoplasm, and the nucleolus as a still
denser portion. Now it is believed that the nucleus
is a distinct substance, and a permanent organ of the
cell. The remaining portion of the protoplasm is now
usually spoken of as the _cytoplasm_.
In spirogyra then the cytoplasm in each cell consists
of a layer which lines the inside of the cell wall,
a nuclear layer, which surrounds the nucleus, and
radiating strands which connect the nucleus and wall
layers, thus suspending the nucleus near the center of
the cell. But it seems best in this elementary study to
use the term protoplasm in its general sense.
Protoplasm in mucor.
=12.= Let us now examine in a similar way another of the simple
plants with the special object in view of demonstrating the protoplasm.
For this purpose we may take one of the plants belonging to the group
of _fungi_. These plants possess no chlorophyll. One of several species
of _mucor_, a common mould, is readily obtainable, and very suitable
for this study.[3]
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