It is said that the protoplasm cannot be analyzed chemically. Why?

Protoplasm is a complex material comprised of two categories of substances. It is because of the complexity of physical properties and chemical properties that the ultimate chemical nature of protoplasm cannot be determined.

The first substance is that which is enclosed within the cell membrane. The second substance is the cell membrane itself. Protoplasm is called the "living substance" of the cell. The differentiation of the two categories is cytoplasm and the nucleus; these comprise the protoplasm.

Protoplasm’s physical properties vary and range from near-liquid gelatinousness to near-solid gelatinousness. At one end of the range it is near-liquid resembling the white of an egg, while at the other end of the range, it is near solid resembling jelly. The former near-liquid state is called sol, while the latter one is called gel.

Chemical properties of protoplasm are divided between inorganic substances and organic substances. The components of the inorganic properties of protoplasm are: water, 90% of protoplasm; mineral salts; gases (e.g., CO₂ and O₂). The components of organic properties of protoplasm include enzymes, lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and proteins.

EXPLANATION: Protoplasm is the cytoplasm along with cell organelles. Protoplasm comprises of variety of cell organelles which are made up of different substances in different compositions. Protoplasm varies from one cell to another. Cell organelles are made up of amino acids, sugars, different fatty acids, nucleic acids etc.

The chemical composition of cell organelles is complex making chemical composition of protoplasm complex. Hence, the complex chemical composition of the protoplasm cannot be analyzed. One another reason for that protoplasm cannot be chemically analyzed is that; protoplasm is different when it is taken out of the cell.