242 SCIENCE AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE ORGANISM 



element in space as such is an extensity. We have no 

 desire to advocate the dynamical atomistic theory by what 

 we have said, at least not without restrictions. We only 

 wish to emphasise the fact that inorganic substance in any 

 possible form relates to extensities, and that if it relates to 

 varieties and manifoldnesses it does so with regard to extensive 

 ones and to nothing else. 



We now turn back to our proper field of research 

 biological philosophy in its relations to the category of 

 substance. 



/5. ORGANIC " ASSIMILATION ' 



In the first place we shall have to deal with some 

 characteristics of life which are by no means philosophical 

 by themselves. These introductory remarks will serve at 

 the same time to fill a certain gap in our survey of life 

 phenomena. You probably have noticed that there was 

 still a gap in that survey, though, I hope, our following 

 discussion will show that this gap was only apparent and 

 implied only a pseudo-problem. 



RESPIRATION 



Respiration and assimilation are generally regarded as 

 the most fundamental functions of organic life, as the very 

 foundations indeed of all physiology. 



Eespiration in its scientific meaning is the oxidation 

 of any chemical compound of the body, that is, its combina- 

 tion with oxygen, in order, as text-books tell us, to provide 

 a source of energy for functional performances. The com- 

 pounds to be oxidised may be split into simpler ones before 



