THE THERMIC EFFECT OF DEATH AND HEMOLYSIS

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Abstract
Experiments made on red blood corpuscles confirmed former experiments on the thermic effect of death, determined on yeast cells. The hemolysis or the coagulation of protoplasm of red corpuscles is accompanied by the production of heat to the amount of 2.1-2.4 calories per gm. of dry substance of corpuscles. The death of red corpuscles as well as that of yeast cells is therefore an exothermic process. This confirms the supposition that death is accompanied by the decomposition of some very unstable chemical compounds. In the case of red corpuscles, they are probably the compounds of hemoglobin with sterins and phosphatids. As the molecular wt. of hemoglobin is not less than 16,600, the decomposition of the molecule of its unstable chemical compounds forming the protoplasm of red corpuscles is accompanied by the production of at least 2 X 16,600= 33,200 calories. This thermic effect is greater than that produced by the destruction of the molecule of some explosive substances.

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