On the physiology of amœboid movement.―V. Anaerobic movement

Abstract
The processes involved in muscular contraction stand in peculiar relation to oxidation. They occur in two stages. The act of contraction is associated with anaerobic reactions; while oxygen is only required for a recovery process (Fletcher and Hopkins, 1917). There is evidence that such a mechanism is general, not only for divers kinds of muscle (Ritchie, 1928), but perhaps also in cilia (Gray, 1928). Hill (1926) has suggested that certain common principles underlie all forms of animal movement, and many aspects of movement in amœba support this (Pantin, 1926,aandb). An investigation of the relation of amœboid movement to the presence of oxygen is therefore necessary. The amœbæ used in the following experiments are small (100 μ X 25 μ) and cannot be obtained in large numbers free from associated organisms. It was not possible to measure their oxygen consumption or to subject them to chemical analysis. The problem had to be attacked indirectly.

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