Biogen

Biogen (from Greek bios-life and gennao-I beget), a term proposed by Verworn for hypothetical, highly unstable compounds belonging to the protein group. According to Verworn's hypothesis, the basis of all metabolic processes characteristic of the living cell consists of transformations of biogen, which spontaneously decomposes into nitrogenous and non-nitrogenous parts. The latter is further used in oxidation processes and undergoes final decomposition, while the nitrogenous part is regenerated from substances contained in the environment back into a complete biogen. At present, the theory of biogen, which excessively schematizes the complex aggregate of metabolic processes, should be considered as having lost its significance, since it is insufficiently substantiated chemically and does not correspond to data on metabolism in the living cell. Chemical research also does not yet provide grounds for accepting any fundamental difference between 'living' and 'dead' protein, as required by the biogen theory. The term biogen could rather be applied not to a substance, but to an elementary living system characterized by a specific coordination of a series of assimilation and dissimilation processes.