1. Permeability to water in unfertilized eggs of the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata, is found to be greater in hypotonic solutions of dextrose, saccharose and glycocoll than in sea water of the same osmotic pressure.

2. The addition to dextrose solution of small amounts of CaCl2 or MgCl2 restores the permeability approximately to the value obtained in sea water.

3. This effect of CaCl2 and MgCl2 is antagonized by the further addition of NaCl or KCl.

4. It is concluded that the NaCl and KCl tend to increase the permeability of the cell to water, CaCl2 and MgCl2 to decrease it.

5. The method here employed can be used for quantitative study of salt antagonism.

This content is only available as a PDF.
Copyright, 1928, by The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research
1928
You do not currently have access to this content.