Since CORTI (1774) observed for the first time a streaming in plant
cells, a history oJ mnre than 180 years has already elapsed in the study
of proto- plasmic streaming. Durling this period of time, many
experiments have been conducted and various discussions have been made
nn prntoplasmic streaming, each of them within the limits of the
knowledge and techniques of its own times and mnre or less under the
influence of the ideas that pre- vailed then. With such a long history
of research, in spite of all the interest and efforts that have been
devoted to it by many, the mechani'sm of this in- triguing and
complicated binlogical phenomenon is still left far from clear. It is an
undeniable fact that one important factor stood in the way in analysing
this phenomenon, that is, the limitations in the techniques ap- plicable
to thi, s research. Another factor lay in the fact that we still have
not enough knowledge about the protoplasm regar1ding its structural
organisation, mechanochemistry, energetics, rheology, etc., all of which
con- stitute basic problems in understanding the nature of the
streaming.