The Energy of Segmentation 297 



THE HYPOTHESIS 



As indicated by practically all that which is at present known 

 and accepted as to the constitution and action of "living matter 

 the egg of marine forms like the Echinoderms is to be regarded as 

 a system of colloidal particles: 



1 in solution; 



2 with electrical charges, positive or negative; 



3 they or their constituent molecules entering into chemical 

 reactions; 



4 this, how^ever, sometimes, if not always, in the presence of 

 ferments; 



5 such particles being localized, to form the nucleus, the cyto- 

 plasm, etc.; 



6 and with many energy-transformations taking place both 

 within the system and between it and its environment. 



Or, to state this another way, the ovum may be regarded as a 

 system of energy-forms, chemical, electrical, volume, i.e., osmotic, 

 surface and heat. That each one of these is present in the egg 

 can be demonstrated more or less directly; and for each and all 

 of these together, it is to be granted — this is the hypothesis — that 

 both the empirical laws of each form and the general laws are 

 valid; between some two or more there may be from time to time 

 equilibrium, at other times uncompensated intensity-differences, 

 with events resulting therefrom. Accordingly, in agreement with 

 the exposition above, the qualities of the organism, even granted 

 that, as taken together, these are to be found together nowhere 

 else than here, are either those which the specific energy-forms 

 would retain if isolated, or they result in "creative synthesis" from 

 just this coexistence of two or more forms, or both. 



The hypothesis which has served as a working point of view, 

 not only actually has been, but here, too, must now be developed 

 gradually. 



It is, first, and briefly, that the egg is such a system as is described 

 above, namely, that upon it or by it work can be done; accord- 

 ingly, that, in the end, all the "forces" or intensities are to be 

 regarded as resolved into two, of which the one, as a resultant. 



