SECTION III: CELL COMMUNITIES 



CHAPTER XIV 



THE ARMY WHEREWITH THE BODY WAGES WAR 

 WITH NATURE— THE MUSCLE CELLS 



" Tho' born to fight. 

 Yet, mix'd and soften'd. in his work unite ; " 



Pope. 



" Lactic acid is the keystone of the arch which now joins the physiology of muscle 

 to the exact sciences." " A. V. Hiu.. 



In the animal body there are various kinds of cell communities. 

 There seems to be no doubt that originally each cell was self- 

 supporting, and a small cell-community, like a small village in a 

 remote corner of civilisation, was able to perform all necessary 

 activities without the help of other conmiunities. In a big 

 complex concern like the manmialian body, however, each cell 

 community has specialised in some form of activity, and it has 

 therefore to depend on other communities for certain necessities. 

 No cell in such a commimity is absolutely self-supporting. For the 

 same reason we cannot validly consider any cell as typical of all 

 others. Each has its own particular duty to perform and is adapted 

 to perform that particular duty most economically. It could and 

 might, if circumstances compelling it arose, do other things usually 

 left to other cells, but would perform these unaccustomed duties 

 clumsily and uneconomically. 



The dominant cell communities in the somatic body are those 

 forming the muscles. Their activity, to a great extent, regulates 

 all other changes taking place in the body. They demand for 

 their use the lion's share of the energy intake of the body. The 

 bulk of the repair material in the food is earmarked for their use. 

 They keep a firm hand on the transport system and soon cause a 

 " speeding up " if supplies fall short of their needs, or if the bye- 

 products of their activity are not removed with sufficient rapidity. 

 The system of inter-communication between cell-communities 

 (the nervous system) exists in large measure to suit the muscles. 

 In short, the muscles are the master-tissues of the soma. They 



166 



