Advanced reading for midterms

Meaning of protoplasm- Homogenous jelly like mass of the cell. Differentiates

the living things from non-living things. It is the ground substance of living
things that is found within the membrane of a cell.
Protoplasm theory- Proposed by Max Schultz; he discovered the
similarities between protoplasm of plants and animals.
-According to protoplasm theory, protoplasm is the main part of the
cells, performing physiological activities of the cell.

Physical Nature of Protoplasm- Optically homogenous, elastic, colorless, jelly like

semi-transparent to transparent and semi-viscous substance.
- About 80-90% water
- It appears granular and contains vacuoles
- Active response to external stimuli
- Stimulation is its defining quality
- Soluble substance like salts, sugars, and minerals are suspended in
ion or molecule form, hence it is referred as a colloidal solution
- Viscosity of protoplasm is found to be greater than that of water and
exhibits brownian and amoeboid movement

Chemical Nature of Protoplasm- consist of inorganic and organic matter.

- Contains varying quantities of water in different parts of an organism
- High specific heat thus providing a protection against fluctuation in
temperature
- Water in the protoplasm has a high surface tension which provides the
protoplasm a consistency
- Proteins are the main component of protoplasm
- Three main kind of carbohydrates are present in protoplasm
(monosaccharide, disaccharide, and polysaccharide)