CoGNiTic State of Energy 129 



coccacese, and the Protococcacese, which we accept, in a 

 subsequent chapter, as transition groups from the blue-green 

 to the higher or nucleate green algae. But many facts indicate 

 that the evolutionary^ history of cell-chromatin is probably as 

 follows. 



Through increasingly complicated action and reaction be- 

 tween the higher Blue-green x\lg8e and their environment, due 

 to increasingly marked fluctuations and changes in this envir- 

 onment, these have evidently become traversed by a more and 

 more condensed and perfect form of energy than even the 

 biotic, though starting from it and interlinked in energizing 

 changes with it. This manifested itself in the linking up of 

 more complex molecules than even the protoplasmic. In these 

 molecules phosphorus became an outstanding element. 



In its first differentiation, as seen in Nostocacese and re- 

 lated alga;, as also in some middle types of bacteria, this sub- 

 stance appeared as minute scattered refractive granules. By 

 their highly energized activity these conferred added rapidity 

 and delicacy of response to the foam strands of the viscous 

 cell. But in process of their evolution, and owing doubtless 

 to slight chemical or physico-chemical differences in their 

 constitution, some became first chemoenergids, in relation to 

 the continuous chemical action proceeding in the cell, others 

 later became photoenergids, and still later others differentiated 

 as indicated in previous paragraphs. 



But, differentiated from, continuous with, and embedded 

 in the protoplasmic foam substance, these remained linked up 

 with each other by a fine system of chromatin threads — the 

 kinoplasm threads of some authors. Thus started the striking 

 peculiarity of chromatin cells, viz., their capacity, not only 

 to perceive or be stimulated by two, three, or more external 

 stimuli, but to so compound these as to start a single resultant 

 response^ that represented the most satisfied response possible 

 to such environal stimuli. Or, where one external stimulus 

 and intrinsic resulting response exceeded one or more simul- 

 taneous or nearly simultaneous stimuli, growth or motion in 

 that direction would be proenvironed by the cell substance 

 and followed accordingly. 



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