The Beginning of Life 



cell repeated this process, In a short time, there were mil- 

 lions of life cells each living the same way as the first parent 

 life cell. After the original cell had passed on its life to 

 other cells of the same kind, its purpose In life was fulfilled 

 and It could die for through Its power of reproduction, life 

 could go on in the world. As these life cells increased Into 

 countless numbers, the environments of some were different 

 from others, just as It is with both plants and animals today. 

 The food supply of some was not as abundant or as easily 

 secured as that of others and as a consequence, the ones less 

 favored In their surroundings, had to perish for lack of food 

 or to become more active and to reach out farther in their 

 search for food. Each reaching out brought about a change 

 In their environment and necessitated an adaptation to the 

 new surroundings. 



This movement of change and adaptation has developed 

 growth from a lower to a higher state. Just as adversity 

 and the overcoming of obstacles have developed great men 

 of our time, so the overcoming of obstacles In their "strug- 

 gle for existence" among the first family of life cells have led 

 to newer and higher forms of life. But there were those 

 life cells whose environments were sufficient to supply their 

 necessary food requirements and other life conditions. These 

 made no effort to change their life conditions and as a con- 

 sequence, they are living today just as they did a thousand 

 million years ago. 



As these life cells were forced by changing conditions to 

 change their environments and habits, there came one of the 

 first great steps in the advance of the process of life. It was 



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