The Principles of Biology, Volume 1 (of 2)Spencer, Herbert
Science
The Principles of Biology, Volume 1 (of 2)
Spencer, Herbert
Biology
We are obliged to conclude that in carnivorous animals the katabolic
process is congruous with the first of these views, in so far that the
evolution of energy must in some way result solely from the fall of complex
nitrogenous compounds into those simpler matters which make their
appearance as waste; for, practically, the carnivorous animal has no
carbo-hydrates out of which otherwise to evolve force. To this admission,
however, it should be added that possibly out of the exclusively
nitrogenous food, glycogen or sugar has to be obtained by partial
decomposition before muscular action can take place. But when we pass to
animals having food consisting mainly of carbo-hydrates, several
difficulties stand in the way of the hypothesis that, by further
compounding, proteids must be formed from the carbo-hydrates before
muscular energy can be evolved. In the first place the anabolic change
through which, by the addition of nitrogen, &c., a proteid is formed from a
carbo-hydrate, must absorb an energy equal to a moiety of that which is
given out in the subsequent katabolic change. There can be no dynamic
profit on such part of the transaction as effects the composition and
subsequent decomposition of the proteid, but only on such part of the
transaction as effects the decomposition of the carbo-hydrate. In the
second place there arises the question--whence comes the nitrogen required
for the compounding of the carbo-hydrates into proteids? There is none save
that contained in the serum-albumen or other proteid which the blood
brings; and there can be no gain in robbing this proteid of nitrogen for
the purpose of forming another proteid. Hence the nitrogenizing of the
surplus carbo-hydrates is not accounted for. One more difficulty remains.
If the energy given out by a muscle results from the katabolic consumption
of its proteids, then the quantity of nitrogenous waste matters formed
should be proportionate to the quantity of work done. But experiments have
proved that this is not the case. Long ago it was shown that the amount of
urea excreted does not increase in anything like proportion to the amount
of muscular energy expended; and recently this has been again shown.
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