On the Multinuclear Cells of some Grasses. 
By Rupo.ir BeEeEr. 
Plates I. and II. 
A FEW years ago we unhesitatingly affirmed that the cell was the 
ultimate unit of the animal or vegetable body. At the present day we 
do indeed continue to uphold the cell as the elementary structural 
component of the living body, but not without some misgivings, since 
recent research has made us acquainted with various phenomena which 
we find it difficult to reconcile with this conception.* 
The work of a large band of investigators has shown that in a 
number of tissues, both animal and vegetable, the intercellular wall 
forms by no means so sharp a separation between the protoplasmic 
bodies as was formerly believed. In these cases the refined methods of 
modern research have revealed to us a system of delicate fibrils of pro- 
toplasm which pass through perforations in the cell-wall, and directly 
connect neighbouring cell-bodies. 
Further cause for uncertainty has been given by the discovery of 
multinuclear cells, 2.e. cell-cavities which contain a single protoplasmic 
body in which are included a plurality of nuclei. Among the lower 
plants we meet with whole groups of organisms (eg. Siphoneae) in 
which the body shows no septation into cells, although it is frequently 
both large and highly differentiated. 
To use Sachs’ phrase, the bodies of these plants are “ non-cellular,” 
for they contain a large, continuous mass of protoplasm which is 
studded with innumerable nuclei (157 and 16). 
The embryo-sac of the higher plants, at one time of its existence, 
contains a large number of nuclei (8); the laticiferous tubes of a num- 
ber of plants (Euphorbieae, etc.) are also multinuclear (18); the 
elongated bast-cells (18), the cells of the suspensor of some Leguminosae 
(6), the older internode cells of Characeae (10), the older parenchyma 
1 A full explanation of the terms used in this paper will be found in two articles, 
by Mr. Hill and myself, which were published in previous numbers of this journal 
(7 and 1). 
2 These numerals refer to papers, etc., quoted at end of article. 
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