130 Causes and Course of Organic Evolution 



Such action and reaction between different and at times 

 diverse stimuli on tlie one hand and diverse chromidia on the 

 other necessitated the gradual evolution of a central correlating 

 chromidial or chromatin mass, that would focus up and energize 

 the different peripheral or the more deeply placed chromidial 

 factors. Such we see in Oscillatoria and Lynghya ^\\\h. their 

 nuclear skeins, while in the simpler green alga3 the process has 

 largely or wholly been completed, through formation of the 

 chromatin center or nucleus. So, as to the functional as well 

 as morphological significance of this, and in light of all cyto- 

 logical papers that have appeared in recent years, the writer 

 can only repeat the explanation given by him nearly twenty 

 years ago {63: 279): "We would consider that the nucleolus 

 is the special chromatic (chromatin) and cell center; that it 

 sends out fine radiating processes — the intra-nuclear network — 

 which partially fuse externally to constitute the nuclear mem- 

 brane, the interspaces of the network being occupied by nucleo- 

 plasm concerned in metabolic changes; that radiating continua- 

 tions of the chromatic substance pass out beyond the nuclear 

 membrane, and form a network in the protoplasm, while we 

 would suggest, for further proof or disproof, that they further 

 may be continued through wall pores to form an inter-cellular 

 chromatic connection." Also that chromatin "threads can 

 be traced to radiate out through and beyond the nuclear mem- 

 brane, and across the cell-cavity to the pyrenoid centers,'* 

 while "extremely fine chromatic threads stretch across to, and 

 connect, the pyrenoid centers" in the chlorophyll bodies. 



So, evolutionarily, functionally, and morphologically, we can 

 only regard the chromidia, the chromatin skeins, and the 

 chromatin nucleus-nucleolus as evolving expressions of one 

 fundamental substance, that is intimately associated with a 

 cognitic energy. This energy brings each organism into rapid 

 and delicate connection vn\h. environal stimuli. The origin 

 of the chromatin substance then seems only explicable, as 

 due to long continued environal stimuli, and previously ab- 

 sorbed intra-molecular biotic energy acting and reacting along 

 complex colloid molecules, so as to build up a sensitively receptive 



