THE CAUSE OF PURPOSIVENESS 

 (1932 'Supplement) 



Living matter differs from dead matter not so 

 much in its chemical constitution as in its behav- 

 ior. Dead matter, regardless of its origin, is 

 always indifferent in its behavior, whereas living 

 matterVlways behaves as though it had a definite 

 purpose. The self-coordinating, self-controlling, 

 and self-directing ability of living matter in all 

 its forms and activities is too pronounced to 

 escape attention, and cannot be explained by any 

 fortuitous juxtaposition of molecules. If two 

 masses of dead protein material are brought into 

 contact with each other, neither will have any 

 advantage over the other and both will remain 

 inert. However, if one of these masses be 

 brought near a living cell, it will be gradually 

 digested and assimilated by the latter. Now, if 

 this were an ordinary chemical reaction, then the 

 chemical affinity of the living cell for the amino 

 acid radicles of the dead protein material would 

 be satisfied after the first layer of radicles had 

 been assimilated, but actually the cell is just as 

 hungry afterwards as it was before. 



There is only one artificial process which shows 

 a similar behavior, and that is electrolytic depo- 



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