PATTERN OF ORGANIC GROWTH AND TRANSFORMATION 



the specific acceleration of growth is always negative, but it 

 climbs towards zero as growth proceeds. It is only superficially 

 a paradox that deterioration is faster in young animals than 

 in their elders. Almost all metabolic processes go faster in 



Fig. 8. Line drawings in side view of two related 

 species of small marine fish allotted to different genera, 

 Argyropehcus (left) and Sternoptyx (right). Plotted on a 

 changed system of co-ordinates, the outline of the one 

 gives an excellent approximation to the outline of the 

 other. 



youth than in maturity, and the processes which slow down 

 physiological activity are no exception. We are all moving 

 towards our graves, but none so fast as they who have farthest 

 still to go. 



THE PATTERN OF CHANGE OF FORM 



Change of size is almost always accompanied by transforma- 

 tion; growth by proportionate enlargement is very rare. We are 

 not born as miniature adults. Inspected through a magnifying 

 glass, a child does not look like a backward adult, but simply 

 like an uncommonly large child. 



The shape that is characteristic of adults is governed by 

 spatial inequahties of growth rate, i.e. growth that goes at 



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