Living subsance contains three main organic constituents. Of these the proteins and carbohydrates are typically water soluble substance. The third (lipids) is distinguished by insolubility in water, but soluble in fat solvent. Though lipids are insoluble in water, they are nevertheless finally dispersed in protoplasm. This is in part due to the fact that the lipids are emulsified, in part, also to the fact that the lipids may combine with proteins to form water soluble compounds. The nature of these compounds is not well known, but it is certain that they can be found in protoplasm (Heilbrunn. '36, '38).
The present study deals with the general characters of oil of salmon egg and the relation between oil and proteins in egg. With the lapse of time, the larger oil drops grow in their diameters, while the oil granules decrease in number (Table 1, 2), and the amount of oil increases in total (Table 3). The similar increase of oil was also observed in eggs immersed in NH₄Cl-, 0.5% saponin Ringer-, various Ph- (Ph 5, 8), alcohol Ringer-or ether Ringer-isotonic solut6ions as well as in eggs treated with heat (at 20°C) (Table 5-9). On the contrary, when the egg has been immersed in 0.5% chloreton Ringer the oil decreases (Table 6). The isotonic solution of salts such as NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, MgCl₂ is not effective on the oil volume (Table 4).
The increase of oil may due to the oil freed from the protein lipid as the result of denature of protoplasm, and as soon as the denature has been occured, the fertilizability of egg falls suddenly.