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THE HISTORY OF CREATION. 



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dentally come into contact with tlie Moneron, tliey remain 

 hanging to the sticky semi-fluid globule of mucus, and 

 here create an irritation, which is followed by a strong afflux 

 of the mucous substance, and, in consequence, they become 

 finally completely inclosed by it, or are drawn into the 

 body of the Moneron by displacement of the several albu- 

 minous particles, and are there digested, being absorbed by 

 simple difi*usion (endosmosis). 



Just as simple as the process of nutrition is the propaga- 

 tion of these primitive creatures, which in reality we can 

 neither call animals nor plants. All Monera propagate 

 themselves only in an asexual manner by monogony ; and 

 in the simplest case, by that kind of monogony which we 

 place at the head of the different forms of propagation, that 

 is, by self-division. When such a little globule, for example 

 a Protamoeba or a Protogenes, has attained a certain size 

 by the assimilation of foreign albuminous matter, it falls 

 into two pieces ; a pinching in takes place, contracting the 

 middle of the globule on all sides, and finally leads to the 

 separation of the two halves (compare Fig. 1.). Each half 



Fig. 1. — Propagation of tlie simplest organism, a Moneron, by self. division. 

 A. The entire Moneron, a Protamoeba. B. It falls into two halves by a 

 contraction in the middle. C. Each of the two halves has separated from 

 the other, and now represents an independent individual. 



