Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
95
THE FITNESS
OF THE
ENVIRONMENT
AN INQUIRY
BY
LAWRENCE J. HENDERSON
O —Si—O
H H
H H H
1958
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
PAGE
FITNESS . 1
I. Purpose and Order . 1
II. Fitness .... 4
III. The Environment 8
A. Matter . 8
B. Energy . 15
C. Space and Time . . 19
IV. The Organism 21
A. Metabolism . 24
B, Organic Chemistry . 28
C. The Characteristics of Life . . 30
V. The Problem , . 36
CHAPTER II
THE ENVIRONMENT.38
I. Astronomy.38
II. Possible Environments.49
III. Geophysics.52
IV. The Atmosphere.55
V. General Cosmographical Conclusions . . 60
VI. The Primary Constituents op the Environ¬
ment .61
VII. The Ultimate Problem.63
Vin. The Method of Solution.67
CONTENTS
CHAPTER in
PAGE
WATER.72
I. Thermal Properties .80
A. Specific Heat.80
B. Latent Heat.92
C. Thermal Conductivity.106
D. Expansion before Freezing .... 106
II. The Action op Water upon Other Substances 110
A. Water as a Solvent.Ill
B. Ionization.118
C. Surface Tension.126
CHAPTER IV
CARBONIC ACID.133
I. .136
Solubility
CHAPTER V
THE OCEAN.164
I. 164
The Regulation op Physico-chemical Conditions
CHAPTER VI
PAOS
C.
Compounds of Carbon, Hydrogen, and Oxygen 202
D.
Other Organic Compounds.208
E.
The Characteristics of Organic Substances . 209
F.
The Sugars.222
G.
Hydrolysis.232
H. Inorganic Chemistry.237
HI. Thermochemistry.243
CHAPTER Vn
THE ARGUMENT.249
I. Analysis op the Evidence.250
II. . . 253
The Exhaustiveness op the Treatment
CHAPTER Vin
LIFE AND THE COSMOS.274
I. The Signipicance op Fitness .... 274
II. .282
Vitalism
A. The Vitalism of Bergson.293
B, Vitalism and Teleology.298
HI. Cosmic Evolution.301
A, The Periodic System.303
B, Teleology.305
PEEFACE
FITNESS
I
PURPOSE AND ORDER
n
FITNESS
m
THE ENVIRONMENT
Prediction Observation
B
ENERGY
IV
THE ORGANISM
A
METABOLISM
C
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIFE
THE PROBLEM
THE ENVIRONMENT
I
ASTRONOMY
II
POSSIBLE ENVIRONMENTS
in
GEOPHYSICS
IV
THE ATMOSPHERE
VI
VII
VIII
WATER
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
THERMAL PROPERTIES
A
SPECIFIC HEAT
t k
15° 0.00000967
0
O
0.0000863
0
o
0.000249
60.2° 0.000654
O
P
0.00169
0
00
o
0.0046
89.4° 0.0156
101° 0.0318
B
LATENT HEAT
Degrees
Water. H2O 0
Hydride of antimony .... SbHa -91.5
Hydride of arsenic. AsHa -113.5
Hydrobromic acid. HBr -87
Hydrochloric acid. HCl -112.5
Hydrofluoric acid. HF -92.3
Hydriodic acid. HI -50
Methane. CH4 -185.8
Carbon dioxide. CO2 - 57
Hydride of phosphorus . . . PHa -132.5
Hydrogen sulphide. H2S -85.6
Sulphurous oxide. SO2 -72.7
Ammonia. NHa -75
Nitric oxide. NO -167
0
Nitric acid . . . HNOa 9.5
1
Sulphuric acid . . H2SO4 10.3 24.
Sulphuric oxide . . SOa 76.7
Ethylene bromide . C2ll4Br2 8 13
Formic acid . . . H.COOH -7.5 57.4
Chloral hydrate CjHaClaOz 46 33.2
Dimethyl oxalate . C204(CHa)2 49.5 42.6
Acetic acid . . . CHaCOOH 43.7
Glycerine .... CaBgOa 13 42.5
Stearic acid . . . CiaHaaOa 64 47.6
Benzene .... CeHe 5.3 30.1
Nitrobenzene . . CeHfiNOa -9.21 22.3
Di-chlorbenzene C6H4CI2 52.5 29.9
p-Toluidine . . . C7H9N 35.8
Phenol .... CeHaOH 25.4 24.9
Menthol .... C10H20O 42 18.9
Phenylhydrazine . C6Ha.NH.NH2 24.5
Phenylacetic acid . C«Ha.CH2.COOH 75 25.4
Naphthaline . . . CioHs 80 35.7
Temper¬
Substance Formula ature OF Latent Heat of
Vapor¬ Vaporization
ization
Temper¬
ature OF Latent Heat op
Substance Formula
Vapor¬ Vaporization
ization
C
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
D
EXPANSION BEFORE FREEZING
Per cent
0 0.99987 0.013
1 0.9999S 0.007
£ 0.99997 0.003
3 0.99999 0.001
4 1.00000 0.000
5 0.99999 0.001
6 0.99997 0.003
7 0.99993 0.007
8 0.99988 0.01£
9 0.99981 0.019
10 0.99973 0.0£7
£0 0.998£4 0.176
SO 0.99567 0.44
40 0.99£33 0.77
50 0.98813 1.19
100 0.95934 4.07
II
A
WATER AS A SOLVENT
B
IONIZATION
NaCl=Na-bCl
KBr=K:+B'r
LiI=Li+i
Solvent Rd Hy
C
SURFACE TENSION
Water.75
Carbonic acid. 1.8
Ammonia.41.8
Mercury.436
Benzene .28.8
Methyl alcohol.23
Ethyl alcohol.22
Ether.16.5
Glycerine.65
Acetone.23
Formic acid.37.1
Acetic acid .23.5
Chloroform .26
CARBONIC ACID
Water.2500-3500 grams
Carbon dioxide .... 750-900 grams
All other substances . . 60-125 grams
133
1S4 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Weight in
Volume in Liters Grams
Per Kilogram
Volume in
Weight in Grams
Liters
I
SOLUBILITY
Oxygen. 0.049
Hydrogen. 0.021
Nitrogen. 0.024
Carbon monoxide. 0.035
Carbon dioxide. 1.797
Sulphurous oxide. 79.79
Ammonia.1299
n
ACIDITY
(H) X (OH) = K
Substituting in this equation the value
0.0000001 of the concentrations at neutral¬
ity, we obtain the value
K = 0.00000000000001
,
whence
0.00000000000001
(H) =-^-
(OH)
HA
(H)=fcX
BA
whence, if k=(R)
HA_,
BA
HA _ (H)
BA k
146 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
Grams
0 0.0001 N 0.0000000001N 1000 0.001
50 0.0000052 0.000000002 52 0.02
100 0.0000024 0.000000004 24 0.04
150 0.0000015 0.000000006 15 0.06
200 0.0000011 0.000000009 11 0.09
250 0.0000008 0.000000012 8 0.12
300 0.0000006 0.000000017 6 0.17
350 0.0000005 0.000000020 5
400 0.0000004 0.000000025 4 0.25
450 0.0000003 0.000000033 3 0.33
500 0.00000025 0.00000004 2.5 0.4
550 0.00000020 0.00000005 2.0 0.5
600 0.00000015 0.00000007 1.5 0.7
650 0.00000012 0.00000008 1.2 0.8
700 0.00000009 0.00000011 0.9 1.1
750 0.00000006 0.00000017 1.7
800 0.00000004 0.00000025 2.5
850 0.00000002 0.0000005 0.2 5.0
CARBONIC ACID 149
Relative
HCl H2C0»: Relative
Alka¬
Added NaHCOa (H) (OH) Acidity
linity
Qrams
0 2.27: 11.9 0.000000057 N 0.000000176 N 0.57 1.76
10 2.27: 11.5 0.000000059 0.000000170 0.59 1.70
50 2.27: 10.0 0.000000068 0.000000147 0.68 1.47
100 2.27: 8.2 0.000000083 0.000000120 0.83 1.20
150 2.27: 6.3 0.000000108 0.000000093 1.08 0.93
200 2.27: 4.4 0.000000154 0.000000065 1.54 0.65
250 2.27: 2.6 0.00000026 0.000000039 2.6 0.39
SOO 2.27:0.68 0.0000010 0.000000010 10 0.10
SIO 2.27:0.31 0.0000022 0.0000000045 22 0.045
318 00 0.00026 0.00000000039 260 0.0039
320 — 0.00045 0.00000000022 450 0.0022
330 — 0.0027 0.000000000037 2700 0.00037
HA + NaHCOg = NaA + H CO 2 3
THE OCEAN
I
THE EEGULATION OF PHYSICO-CHEMICAL
CONDITIONS
0 19°
500 16
1000 9
1500 4
2000 3
2500 2.5
SOOO 2
+
(H) X 100,000,000
Depth in
Metebs
Relative
Amount
II
III
Na. 30.59 39
Mg. 3.79 0.4
Ca. 1.20 1
K . 1.11 2.7
Cl . 55.27 45
SO4. 7.66
CO3. 0.21 12
Br . 0.19
P2O6. 0.4
I
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
A
VALENCE
B
HYDROCABBONS
H-C-H
H
198 THE FITNESS OP THE ENVIRONMENT
H H H H
1 1 1 1
H-C-H H-C-H H~C~H H-C-H H
1 1 1
H-C-H H~C~H H-C~H
1 1
-o-
H-C-H C-H
1
1
1 1
H-C~H H-C-H H-C-H
1 1 1
H-C-H H-C-H H-C-H
1 11 11
H-C-H H H
H
CHEMISTRY 199
H-C-H
and acetylene,
H-C=C-H
H H
CH* C C
/\ y\
CH* CH* HC CH2 HC CH
11 11 9
1 1 II
CH2 CH2 HC CH2 HC CH
\/ X/ X/
CH* c c
H H
CHEMISTRY 201
CH2-CH2 CH2-CH2
II . \/
CH2 CH2 CH*
\/
CH2
CHs CH,
1 H 1
C C C
X\ yX /CH, /X
HC CH HC C-CH< HC CH,
1 II . 1 II CHs . 1 1
HC CH HC CH HC CH,
\/ X/ X/
C C CH
1 H 1
CHg C
/X
CHs CH2
202 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
H H H H
C C C H C
X\ 1
HC C CH HC C - C - C CH
1 II 1 1 II 1 1 II
HC C CH HC CH H HC CH
X/ X/
c c C c
H H H H
= C-0-H, =C-0-C=, =C = 0.
Alone or in combination, these groups yield
a great variety of important classes of com¬
pounds. Representing a group or radical
consisting of carbon and hydrogen alone by
CHEMISTRY 203
CO CHj CH c CO
1 1 II II 1
CHO CHO CO CO CHO
CHj CH c CH2
1 II III 1
COOH CHj CH COOH
CHO
I
COH
II
CO
COOH COOH
1 1
COH CHOH
II 1
CHOH COOH
CO CH2 CH CO
1 1 II
ii
1
COOH COOH CO COOH
D
OTHER ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
t
or in but two: ^C=>',
210 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
-C
I I I I
-C-CH3, -C-CHa-C CH-C-,
I I I I
-o
I
CH3\p/'CIl3
CH3/ \CH3,
which is not the case. In the second place,
the change from methane, CH4, to ethane,
CH3 • CH3, is a larger proportional change in
the molecule than the change from alcohol,
CH3 CH2OH, to glycol, CH2OH CH2OH, or
aldehyde, CH3-CHO, both of which produce
far greater changes in the properties.
In fact, the union of carbon with hydrogen
in organic compounds is a unique and peculiar
chemical relationship, upon which the proper¬
ties of the carbon compounds, their number,
variety, and complexity largely depend. It
seems to make no important difference whether
216 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIEONMENT
CH2
1
CH2
I
io
1
io
1
F
THE SUGARS
C=0
H-C-O-H
I
H-O-C-H
I
H-C-O-H
I
H-C-O-H
I
CHoOH
OH H
I I
H-C— CHO HO-C-
I I
H-C-OH H-C-OH H-C-OH
I 0 I I 0
HO-C-H HO—C—H ^^6 HO—C—H
I I I
H-C- H-C-OH H-C-
H-C-OH H-C-OH H-C-OH
I I I
CH2OH CH2OH CH2OH
CHO
1
HCOH
1
HOCH
1
HCOH
1
HCOH
1
CH2OH
6HCH0 = C6Hi20e.
This process also has been carried out ex¬
perimentally. Indeed, as a result of the
investigations of Butlerow, O. Loew, and
^See Meyer u. Jacobson’s “Lehrbuch der Organischen
Chemie,” Leipzig, 1907, p. 688, 693-696.
CHEMISTRY 229
G
HYDROLYSIS
H-C-O^CHj-f-H 0 iH-=H-C-0-H-|-H-0-CH,
II : I II
o' ' o
This process is nothing less than the typical
reaction between water and organic sub¬
stances. Accordingly, it is not surprising that
such reactions are by no means confined to
the digestion of food. Once formed, the prod¬
ucts of digestion are absorbed, the more
readily because of their simplicity, and, also
because of their simplicity, they carry into
the body no trace of the organism in which
they previously existed. But, if they are to
234 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
II
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
CH.OH
CHOH
I
CH
. /0-H
O-P^O
\)-R,
a compound of phosphorus, hydrogen, and
oxygen with glycerine.
Sulphur is a constituent of the proteins,
and occurs in many other important com¬
pounds. In the metabolic process of the
animal sulphur is converted from a derivative
of hydrogen sulphide, H S, by oxidation, into
2
process is reversed.
Iodine occurs in the thyroid and in many
marine organisms. The availability of this
element depends upon its existence in nature
as iodides, that is to say, upon its capacity
to unite with hydrogen to form hydriodic
acid, HI. Finally, it is the analogous com¬
pound of chlorine with hydrogen, hydro¬
chloric acid, which contributes acidity to the
gastric juice.
This list might be much further extended,
but I think that the nature of the case is now
established. The conclusion seems inevitable
CHEMISTRY 243
Ill
THERMOCHEMISTRY
H2 34.5 Cal.
c 8.1
CH4 13.3
CH30H 5.3
HCHO 4.2
CeIIi206 3.74
CO 2.4
HCOOH 1.4
HEATS OF FORMATION
THE ARGUMENT
I
ANALYSIS OF THE EVIDENCE
d. Number of Reactions.
e. Variety of Reactions.
/. Complexity of Reactions.
g. The Evenness and Lack of Energy
Change of the Process of Hydro¬
lytic Cleavage.
h. The Chemical Relationship of Car¬
bonic Acid and Water to the Sugars.
i. Instability of the Sugars.
j. Variety and Reactions of the Sugars.
k. Heats of Reaction in Organic Chemis¬
try.
Z. The Number and Variety of Com¬
pounds and Reactions of Oxygen
with Other Elements.
m. The Number and Variety of Com¬
pounds and Reactions of Hydro¬
gen with Other Elements.
n
THE EXHAUSTIVENESS OF THE TREATMENT
Viscosity.
Torsion.
The Velocity of the Molecules of Gases.
Hardness.
Magnetism.
The Velocity of Light.
Optical Activity.
Friction.
The Velocity of Sound.
The Wave Length of Light.
The Length of the Path of a Gaseous Particle.
To these may be added the phenomena of
radioactivity, etc.
It is clear that in the present state of
knowledge the consideration of most of these
properties is uncalled for. However, it may
perhaps be noted in passing that the com¬
pressibility of water is remarkably small, that
of protoplasm even less.^ Hence even great
changes in pressure do not readily damage the
organism, and, indeed, a frog’s muscle appears
to function normally after undergoing a
pressure of 500 atmospheres.^ Further, it is
of decided consequence for many reasons
that the optical properties of water are such
^ Henderson and Brink, American Journal of Physiologyy
XXI, 248, 1908.
2 Henderson, Leland, and Means, American Journal of
Physiologyy XXII, 48, 1908.
THE ARGUMENT 263
ni
SUMMARY
be of biological importance
or which appear to be related
to complexity, regulation, and
metabolism.
IX. There are no other compounds which
share more than a small part
of the qualities of fitness of
water and carbonic acid; no
other elements which share
those of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen.
X. None of the characteristics of these
substances is known to be
unfit, or seriously inferior to
the same characteristic in any
other substance.
XI. Therefore the fitness of the environ¬
ment is both real and unique.
In drawing this final conclusion I mean to
assert the following propositions: —
I. The fitness of the environment is one
part of a reciprocal relationship of which the
fitness of the organism is the other. This
relationship is completely and perfectly recip¬
rocal ; ^ the one fitness is not less important
^ This is not to be understood as an assertion that the rela¬
tionship is symmetrical. The fact is that each organism fits
its particular environment, while the environment in its most
general and universal characteristics fits the most general and
imiversal characteristics of the organic mechanism.
272 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIRONMENT
I
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FITNESS
II
VITALISM
A
THE VITALISM OF BERGSON
^ Ihid,y p. 103.
* In fact, until the mechanistic operation of Bergson’s
impetus can be clearly perceived, it must remain scientifically
an unsound hypothesis.
296 THE FITNESS OF THE ENVIEONMENT
B
VITALISM AND TELEOLOGY
m
COSMIC EVOLUTION
B
TELEOLOGY