Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti közlemények 230-233. (Budapest, 2015)
KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Elek Gábor—Müller Miklós: Bauer Ervin és a rákkutatás
ELEK, Gábor- MÜLLER, Miklós: Ervin Bauer and Cancer Research 91 Bauer’s ideas Comments 3 The value of the Bauer’s principle B auer’s principle is true for cell division as well. Cell division should be the consequence of the cell’s own work performance. Division cannot be regarded as incapacity for work because of insufficiency of the cell surface. The surface energy excess of the two daughter cells is derived from the mother cell’s work. This surplus energy cannot be spontaneously released by the stress of cell division. Therefore the daughter cells begin their life at a higher level of surface energy than where the mother cell ends its (Bauer 1924). Cell division is indeed an energy intensive process (the cytoplasm is divided by the action of a contractile actin-myosin ring; mitotic spindle and centrosomes are moved by tubulin molecules, both processes are ATP dependent, Lodish et at. 2000 505, 785). Bauer’s principle led thus to a productive working theory in the controversial question of the cell division. Hence this principle may be regarded rather as a fruitful wav of the modelline in theoretical bioloav instead of a fundamen- tal principle of biology. Bauer’s principle does not specify the facts of In theoretical biology only of such models O work performance. These have to be deduced are allowed, the validity of which can be 'g from the current model. Bauer’s model just experimentally tested. After testing, the 4 stated that the dividing cell performs work model should be discussed or acknowljG against the surface tension of its surrounding edged and, if necessary, modified or liquid (lymph, extracellular space, etc.). This is rejected. Bauer himself considered these a humoral approach to physiology. outcomes (Bauer 1923a). Wherein lies the value of Bauer’s contribution? Primarily in the thoughts of his conclusions. Bauer’s train of thoughts is summarised in Table A, left column. Current views can be seen in the right column of the table as criticism - giving a historical perspective. Bauer reached quite different conclusion from the observed acceleration of the cell division than Spek, Rashevsky or Heilbrunn. According to Bauer, a discharge of energy differences can produce phenomena resembling cell division only in nonliving systems. In his opinion local viscosity alterations, upsetting the balance of forces or loss of a supposed equilibrium towards the surrounding cannot explain the mechanism of the cell division (Table A, row 1). In this section the Italicised sentences are from Bauer’s text (Bauer 1924). Only the cells own work can explain the course of a regular vital process, work that is always at the cells’ disposal according to Bauer’s principle, even before, during and after cell division.' ...cell division does not mean reaching a state of equilibrium at the given tension differences but in contrast means work against attaining this equilibrium, i. e. against equilibrium of the surface tension... Cells convert their free energy to forms of the energy that works against an establishment of equilibrium’ (Table A, row 2). The newly-born cells begin their life with surface energy surplus, which had not been spontaneously released in the cell division but was purposefully passed on to the successor cells. It represents the result of the work that has been performed by the mother cell against the surface tension of the surrounding medium. This work is ‘performed likely by structures that become visible during karyokinesis and are able to transform the free energy of the cell into mechanical energy, i.e. pulling forces ’. A role of physical forces was only assumed when signs of tension were visible in cells, e.g. separation of chromosomes, function of the spindle (Bertalanffy 1932 227, 245; Rashevsky 1960 235-242; sec. Table A, row 3). ‘If the assumption of work against surface tension during cell division is correct, it follows that less work will be needed if the surface tension is diminished’-, the number of the cell divisions will be increasing. Thus Bauer has made a model of cell division in usual way of theoretical biology at a further stage of its
