The Chemical Studies of the Ovary

The term lecithin as used today signifies a mixture of individual lecithins.This new view-point has been brought about by Levene and others who have shown that well known lecithins, from the brain, liver, and egg yolk, give on hydrolysis usually about five different fatty acids.This coupled with the fact that Levenel has shown that lecithins exist in monomolecular form necessitates our present conception of the term.The nature of the fatty acids incorporated in the lecithin molecule may also vary as McCollum, Halpin, and Drescher2 showed in the case of the phosphatides of the egg yolk, the fatty acids of which they demonstrated varied with the diet.We have been interested in the theory of the non-specificity of the lecithins of corpus luteum and have considered that their main physiological importance was probably the formation of a more labile fat metabolism.With the rapid cell multiplication during pregnancy there is a selfevident necessity for an adequate supply of lipoid material for cell structure.That there is an increased metabolism of fat during the period of pregnancy is indicated by the work of Tyler and Underhill, Bloor,4 Slemons,h and others, who have shown that the blood at this time is more effective as a carrier of lipoid material.During the greater part of the period of pregnancy it is