240 ESSENTIALS OF BIOLOGY 



cells reconstitute themselves and during which these and the 

 cytoplasmic constituents grow. 



Consider one lineage. Fq (which we suppose is a protist) 

 divides into the daughters F^ and F^. In the act of division Fo 

 disappears, for it becomes F^ and F^. Consider F^ (one of the 

 daughters). In the act of dividing into F2 and F2 the organism 

 Fi disappears — and so on. In a direct lineage, where the chain 

 is a series of single organisms (the chain being spaced-out in time) 

 the appearance of one generation is simultaneous with the dis- 

 appearance of the parent. The various things represented by 



GerueratijOTh 

 



Space - dyrrieTislorb 



Fig. 33. — Generations in Space and Time. 



the " generations " O, I, II and III, are phases in a life-career 

 and the whole series of individuals are obviously continuous in 

 the time-dimension. They are extejided in a time-dimension that 

 has sign, that is, that proceeds from earlier to later. They are 

 extended also in space-dimension, that is, they have extension 

 in a dimension that has no sign, or passage. Clearly, then, 

 nothing is " transmitted " from one generation to another one, 

 for one generation simply becomes the next one in the time- 

 dimension. If transformism (or " evolution ") occurs in the 

 course of the passage O — > I — > II — > III — > etc., there is 

 simply 7iovelty in the career. 



83^. Soma and Germ. It is only when our interest centres 

 in the soma, or body, that we have the notion of " transmission 

 of hereditary qualities." When we deal with protist organisms 



