This theory could well be key via adaptation, to preventing other catastrophic failures like the one that occurred at the NG facility.
Sorption Theory for Solute
In 1956, A. S. Troshin published the Russian version of his monograph,90 which was to be translated into three other languages (German,91 Chinese, and English). The English version bears the title: "Problems of Cell Permeability."92 Interestingly enough, the contents of these monographs do not focus on what the title of the book tells us, permeability, which is a rate process. Instead, they deal primarily with solute distribution, which in the view of Troshin and others including myself, represents an equilibrium phenomenon. A possible interpretation of Troshin's choice of the title may be as follows: Troshin knew how the proponents of the membrane (pump) theory—who are by far the majority in this field—misinterpretated these equilibrium distribution problems as problems of membrane permeability, but he chose to refer to these underlying phenomenon as "permeability" problems to be in touch with a larger audience.
In the Preface to the original Russian edition and reprinted in the English edition of Troshin's book, Nasonov wrote: "We have come to the conclusion that this theory (the membrane theory) gives a completely false idea of the structure of the cell and the nature of the substance contained in the protoplasm. Furthermore, as a result of the apparent simplicity of the scheme it offers in explanation of the many problematic phenomena, the membrane theory has acquired great popularity among physiologists and has, in our opinion, induced them to follow a false line in their theoretical researches."92 p xiii
And this is how Troshin himself introduced his own book: "According to the theory developed by Lepeschkin, Nasonov and Fischer, and also certain other workers, the greater or lesser permeability of cell for any substance is to be explained not by the greater or lesser penetration of the substance through the cell membrane, but by the difference in the solubility of the substance in the protoplasm and the surrounding aqueous medium and by the adsorption or chemical binding by the cell colloids of the matter penetrating the wall."92 p 3
This self-effacing declaration notwithstanding, I believe that Troshin deserves the lion's share of credit for the "Sorption Theory" for solute distribution in living cells. It is true that Moore, Roaf, Fischer, Lepeschkin, Nasonov and others had pronounced these basic ideas earlier—which is certainly of prime importance and each of these pioneers should be acknowledged for their priority—but it was Troshin who transformed these ideas summarily expressed into quantitative data expressed in a rigorous equation form. To introduce Troshin's work, I shall begin with the earlier work of I. Ye. Kamnev. |
