THE ENERGY OF SEGMENTATION 

 AN APPLICATION OF PHYSICAL LAWS TO ORGANIC EVENTS 



BY 



E. G. SPAULDING 



Princeton Uni-uersity 



CONTENTS 



I Introduction 284 



II The Four Laws of Energy 285 



1 The First Law: Conservation 285 



2 The Second Law: Potential 286 



3 The Third Law: Entropy 287 



4 The Fourth Law: Invariability 287 



III Formulation of the Laws 289 



1 The First 289 



2 The Second 290 



a Thermodynamic conditions ; 290 



h Their generalization 292 



3 Conditions for their application 293 



IV The hypothesis guiding experimentation 297 



V The experimental methods 300 



1 The practical problem 300 



2 Precautionary measures 300 



3 The detailed experimental methods 301 



4 The ovum as a "system" 302 



5 The "work integral'' applied 303 



6 Determination of surfaces and volume 303 



VI Record of experiments 305 



1 Inhibition of cleavages effected by osmotic pressures — establishment of "equilibrium 



conditions '' 305 



2 Data for surfaces and volume 306 



VII Complete computations from all data obtained 307 



1 Pressures inhibiting cleavages 308 



2 Surfaces and volumes 308 



3 Surface tension 309 



4 The energy of segmentation 310 



VIII Conclusion 311 



1 Elucidation of experimental results 3 1 1 



2 Interpretation of their meaning 313 



