THEORY OP LIFE 146 



used, of course recognizes that, given the conditions 

 of a critical concentration of ions (as postulated), 

 according to the accepted theories of the atom and 

 simple known laws, the happenings necessarily would 

 be about as outlined, and systems such as described 

 necessarily would result. 



IX. THE ORGANISM 



The well-known major peculiarities of the organ- 

 ism that distinguish it from the non-living were care- 

 fully enumerated in Chapter One (pp. 49, 50), and 

 it is assumed that they are fresh in memory. 



A comparison of the peculiarities of the organism 

 that need to be accounted for with the peculiarities 

 that necessarily would belong to systems such as are 

 outlined in sections six, seven, and eight of this 

 chapter, shows marked similarity. 



1. Peculiarity of the dual-system. — Unique indi- 

 viduality. It is distinguished from all other matter by 

 reason of its duality. 



Peculiarity of the organism. — Unique individu- 

 ality. The organism is opposed to non-living 

 matter. 



2. Peculiarity of the dual-system. — The process that 

 is initiated with the beginning of a dual-system is an 

 irreversible process. 



