MULTICELLULAR ORGANISMS 



is that the effect of mutations in genetic cells is of 

 entirely different consequence than the effect of such 

 action upon somatic material. In somatic material the 

 effect of mutation is disorganization, and such disor- 

 ganization spells eventual death to function. In genetic 

 cells the internal organization does not exist primarily 

 for the purpose of cell function, but represents a code 

 which determines the makeup of the new individual. 

 Consequently here mutation would result in a change 

 of that code. Such a change is then not necessarily one 

 towards disorganization, as the new code may represent 

 merely a different pattern. The result of this changed 

 code will be (if such a mutated cell becomes a parent 

 cell) a new individual, having a pattern of cell integra- 

 tion which differs in some respect from that of the 

 parent member of the species. The significance of these 

 mutations on the development of life will be discussed 

 later in this chapter. What is important at this point, 

 is to realize that this process, while it will give rise to 

 individuals of varying organization, will nevertheless 

 permit such individuals to develop inherently free from 

 the time-acquired somatic mutation damage of their 

 parents. Of course genetic cells generally also "die a 

 somatic death." However, there is no need to be con- 

 cerned about the ones which age like all other organic 

 material and become unfit without ever having ful- 

 filled their function. 

 The cells that do in fact become parent cells are 



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