1/6 THE EVOLUTION OF MAN. 



we regard the sperm-cell as well as the egg-cell as true cells, 

 and since fertilization essentially consists in the amalgama- 

 tion of the former with the latter, therefore the cell which 

 results from this amalg^amation must be reg^arded as an en- 

 tirely new independent organism. It contains, in the proto- 

 plasm of the sperm-cell, a portion of the paternal, male body, 

 and on the other hand, in the protoplasm of the original 

 egg-cell, a portion of the maternal, female body. This is 

 equally shown by the fact that the child inherits many 

 qualities from both parents. Heredity from the father is 

 transmitted through the sperm-cells, Heredity from the 

 mother through the egg-cell. The new cell, which is the 

 rudiment of the child, the newly generated organism, 

 originates in an actual amalgamation or coalescence of the 

 two cells. 



In order to gain a correct and clear knowledge of 

 fertilization, I think it is absolutely necessary to emphasize 

 as quite fundamental this simple but most important 

 process, which as yet is not sufficiently appreciated. I there- 

 fore assign a peculiar name to the new cell, from which 

 the child really proceeds, and which is usually inaptly 

 called " the fertilized egg-cell " or " the first cleavage 

 globule ; " I shall call it the parent-cell (cytula), and its 

 kernel (nucleus) the parent-kernel (cytococcus). The name 

 *' parent-cell " seems to me the simplest and most apt, 

 because all the other cells of the organism descend from it, 

 and because it is in the most real sense both the male 

 ancestor and the female ancestor of all the numerous 

 generations of cells, which are afterwards employed in the 

 formation of the many-celled organism. The very complex 

 molecular movement of the protoplasm in this parent-cell, 



