246 THE PRINCPLES OF LIFE PHENOMENA 



throughout the cell to make the protoplasm identical in the structural 

 pattern with the genes, although the multiplication of papticles itself 

 capable of acting as a gene is restricted. Thus the multiplication or 

 spreading of genie pattern must be equal in the nature to the prolife- 

 ration of viruses. 



One cannot regard the multiplication of the genie pattern in the 

 same light with the proliferation of particle itself capable of acting 

 as a gene. The indefinite multiplication of genie pattern is desirable 

 for organism but the indefinite proliferation of gene particles rich in 

 nucleic acid must be fatal to them, because, as was already discussed 

 in detail, for the development of various vital phenomena protoplasm 

 must be composed mostly of elementary bodies containing large 

 amount of lipids without nucleic acid. Accordingly, if genes rich in 

 DNA multiplied unrestrictedly, the cell would naturally be soon 

 destroyed. This may hold true likewise for cytoplasmic particles 

 such as mitochondria and microsome whose multiplication is also 

 restricted like genes. In short, it is evident that the organisms 

 have been able to continue their existence to be left on this earth as 

 the fitter, only through the development of the mechanism by which 

 the numbers of the particles, such as genes and microsomes, are held 

 constant. 



As stated above protoplasm is regarded as a mixed crystal. On 

 the other hand, it is known that the crystal of a certain substance can 

 take into it another substance to make a mixed crystal, but that the 

 amount of another substance to be taken into it without effecting the 

 original crystal pattern is limited. For example, MgSOiTHaO forms 

 rhombic and FeSOiTHaO monoclinic crystal, and these two salts can 

 form a mixed crystal with each other, but the quantity of each salt 

 to be mixed with the other in order to form a mixed crystal without 

 exerting any influence on the original shape of the other is limited. 

 Thus the Mg-salt can dissolve at most the Fe-salt at 18.8 per cent to 

 form a rhombic crystal. It may be not utterly impossible that simi- 

 larly in the protoplasm the quantity of substances other than proteins, 

 such as nucleic acid and lipid, which can be taken into it without 

 effecting its original crystal shape may be limited. 



At any rate, it may be reasonable to consider that the mixed pro- 

 portion of various substances in the protoplasm may be determined 

 by some physicochemical laws. The unbalance induced in the pro- 

 portion of nucleic acid to protein by the nucleic acid increase may be 

 the cause of the reduction division or meiosis, by which the proper 

 proportion would be restored. Thus, the physicochemical force acting 

 to maintain the mixed proportion constant might be best availed by 

 organisms for the proper restriction in the multiplication of genes or 



