Abstract
In former publications, 1 it was shown that when rabbit liver from new-born rabbits is planted in rabbit liver infusion media containing urea (0.5%), the mitochondria of the planted livers will grow independently in the culture medium. Two types of growth develop in the media: surface growth, which is similar to ordinary bacterial surface growth, and a deep growth which produces a clouding in the medium round about the planted liver tissue. It was shown that the clouded growth in some instances could be subcultured to produce a surface growth.
In recent experiments it has been again very evident that the deep clouded growth is a true bacterial growth. This is shown by the fact that when surface growths have developed on the media there has been no, or very little, deep growth. So also, when the deep clouded growth developed there has been no surface growth. In a few instances where neither surface nor deep growth developed in the usual time, it was found that surface growth may ultimately appear; in one case, 21 days after the tissue was planted. Thus, it may be stated that independent mitochondrial growth occurs in practically 100% of cases when liver of new-born rabbits is planted in the media.
Considerable time has been spent in attempting to determine the factors responsible for surface growth in some instances and the deep clouded growth in other cases. So far, I have been able to recognize certain general conditions only. The significance of the various ingredients of the culture media have been studied, but any pronounced significant factors have not been recognized. Water used in the media was distilled in various ways and obtained from different sources.
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