BIOLOGICAL DEATH AND REPRODUCTION 



two cells chosen at random having identical mutation 

 damage is rather low. By identical mutation damage is 

 meant identical changes in corresponding molecules of 

 the cell nuclei. It is also true that in many cases the 

 mutated structure is chemically less stable than the 

 original one. Now during conjugation there is a chance 

 that the mutated molecule will be discarded altogether, 

 or that the more stable of the two corresponding 

 molecules, (which are now the genes of the biologist) 

 usually the non-mutated one, will determine the struc- 

 ture of the cells after conjugation. In this fashion the 

 effect of the somatic mutation is not transmitted fur- 

 ther to the offspring and the resulting organisms are 

 again able to give rise to many new generations, until 

 the cumulative effects of somatic mutation again in- 

 hibit function. 



The process of conjugation as it is discussed here, is 

 of course an idealization of what actually does occur. 

 Conjugation as it takes place in protozoa is a very 

 complex phenomenon. However the essential features 

 of the intricate process are the disintegration of part 

 of the nuclear material of both cells and the fusion of 

 the remaining material in such a fashion as to produce 

 a union of the homologous members of the remaining 

 nuclear material of each cell. 



The reader who has some background in Biology 

 will probably object at this point, because it is true 

 that many protozoa (such as the amoeba) exhibit con- 



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