﻿94 
  THE 
  CRITERIA 
  OF 
  LIVINGNESS 
  

  

  to 
  indicate, 
  however, 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  correlation 
  of 
  chemical 
  

   processes 
  which 
  makes 
  continued 
  self-maintenance 
  possible, 
  

   naturally 
  leads 
  on 
  to 
  growth, 
  and 
  that 
  growth 
  naturally 
  leads 
  

   on 
  to 
  division 
  or 
  reproduction. 
  This 
  remains 
  true 
  though 
  

   our 
  ignorance 
  of 
  the 
  physiology 
  of 
  cell-division 
  is 
  confessed. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  possible, 
  however, 
  to 
  take 
  another 
  step. 
  It 
  is 
  char- 
  

   acteristic 
  of 
  organisms 
  to 
  multiply, 
  and 
  they 
  multiply 
  by 
  

   division, 
  separating 
  off 
  a 
  fragment, 
  a 
  group 
  of 
  cells, 
  or 
  a 
  

   single 
  cell. 
  This 
  brings 
  us 
  face 
  to 
  face 
  with 
  development 
  

   the 
  power 
  that 
  a 
  part 
  has 
  of 
  growing 
  and 
  differentiating 
  

   until 
  it 
  has 
  literally 
  reproduced 
  the 
  whole. 
  Development 
  

   is 
  the 
  making 
  visible 
  of 
  the 
  latent 
  potentialities 
  the 
  intrinsic 
  

   manifoldness 
  of 
  the 
  liberated 
  fragment, 
  or 
  sample, 
  or 
  cell 
  ; 
  

   and 
  while 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  a 
  fertilised 
  egg-cell 
  into 
  an 
  

   organism 
  remains 
  to 
  us 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  wonders 
  of 
  the 
  world, 
  

   we 
  venture 
  to 
  suggest 
  that 
  the 
  development 
  may 
  be 
  profitably 
  

   thought 
  of 
  as 
  a 
  continuation 
  of 
  the 
  processes 
  which 
  are 
  always 
  

   going 
  on 
  to 
  preserve 
  the 
  specific 
  organisation 
  in 
  good 
  repair. 
  

   Every 
  gradation 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  may 
  be 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  

   phenomena 
  of 
  regrowth 
  or 
  regeneration 
  of 
  lost 
  parts. 
  But 
  

   when 
  we 
  associate 
  this 
  capacity 
  of 
  development 
  with 
  growth 
  

   and 
  multiplying 
  we 
  see 
  that 
  we 
  may 
  unite 
  them 
  all 
  in 
  the 
  

   conception 
  of 
  cyclical 
  development, 
  which 
  Huxley 
  was 
  wont 
  

   to 
  emphasise 
  in 
  his 
  discussions 
  of 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  living 
  

   creatures. 
  

  

  From 
  a 
  microscopic 
  egg-cell 
  an 
  embryo 
  plant 
  develops; 
  

   the 
  ovule 
  becomes 
  a 
  seed, 
  the 
  seed 
  a 
  seedling; 
  by 
  insensible 
  

   steps 
  there 
  is 
  fashioned 
  a 
  large 
  and 
  varied 
  fabric 
  of 
  root 
  

   and 
  stem, 
  leaves 
  and 
  flowers. 
  But 
  no 
  sooner 
  has 
  the 
  edifice 
  

   attained 
  completeness 
  than 
  it 
  begins 
  to 
  crumble. 
  The 
  grass 
  

   withereth 
  and 
  the 
  flower 
  thereof 
  fadeth, 
  and 
  soon 
  there 
  is 
  

   nothing 
  left 
  but 
  the 
  seeds, 
  which 
  begin 
  the 
  cycle 
  anew. 
  It 
  

  

  