Overview

Certain organic compounds, among them albumen, are neither soluble, despite their great affinity for water, nor are they fusible, and hence are produced in the micellar form. These compounds are formed in water, where the molecules that arise immediately adjoining each other arrange themselves into incipient crystals, or micellæ. Only such of the molecules as are formed subsequently and come in contact with a micella contribute to its increase in size, while the others, on account of their insolubility, produce new micellæ. For this reason the micellæ remain so small that they are invisible, even with the microscope. On account of their great affinity for water the micellæ surround themselves with a thick film of it. The attraction of these micellæ for matter of their own kind is felt outside this film. Hence the micellæ with their films unite themselves into solid masses permeated with water, unless other forces overcome attraction and re-establish a micellar solution (as in albumen, glue, gum), where the slightly moving micellæ show a tendency to cling together in chain-like and other aggregations. Very often there are found, especially in albumen, half liquid modifications intermediate in fluidity between the solid masses and the micellar solution.

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