CHAPTER XI 

 THE SUMMARY OF PART IV 



1 



Organisms generated from the protoplasm of preexisted creatures 

 are designated as the secondary organisms and those generated originally 

 in the primeval oceans without living substances as the primary 

 organisms. The former were evolved from viruses, while the latter 

 were presumably developed from protoplasm-like masses, a model of 

 which could be prepared by the writer using plant materials especially 

 castor beans. 



In general, coagulated elementary bodies are produced by the 

 decomposition of protoplasm. These bodies yielded from plant materials 

 are liable to fuse into a larger homogeneous mass when stand in a 

 weakly acid solution. 



Elementary bodies possess a character to aggregate readily in a 

 weakly acid water solution. Under this condition, aggregated particles 

 appear to liberate their folded polar groups to combine with one another 

 and fuse into a homogeneous mass. In coagulated elementary bodies 

 protein molecules may be in a contracted, folded state, while in a 

 solution of weak acid, the isoelectric point of the protein, the 

 stretching or unfolding of the molecules may take place, leading to 

 the mutual combination of the elementary bodies. 



Such a stretching appears to occur readily in plant elementary bodies 

 in contrast to animal ones. Elementary bodies prepared from castor 

 beans manifestly exhibit this property and occasionally produce fair 

 protoplasm-like masses, which may be termed artificial cells. The 

 most primitive feature of the primary organisms may be seen in such 

 a mass. 



In chemical composition the mass resembles the protoplasm, being 

 composed of globulin-like protein and lipids, while also in its form it 

 bears a striking resemblance to a kind of protozoa, having a globular 

 form with a diameter of scores of ix, granules of various sizes being 

 included, some of which have frequently a nucleus-like appearance. On 

 the application of a proper physical or chemical stimulus, the mass 

 coagulates into minute particles just as the usual protoplasm, but may 

 recover gradually its original, homogeneous state following the removal 



