BEGINNINGS OF THE NEXT GENERATION 105 



In scientific books germ cells, in quantity, are often re- 

 ferred to as germ plasm, and those who study the subject 

 often speak of germ plasm as a stream of life. They say that 

 "the individual is only the result of the unfolding of the 

 potential powers of a bit of germ plasm," and that, " once 

 developed, the person carries the rest of the precious mate- 

 rial around with him to hand down to his own offspring." 1 

 According to this theory the present generation is the direct 

 outcome of all the generations that have gone before. The 

 claim, therefore, is that germ plasm is the only part of our 

 bodies which will live as long as the race itself continues to 

 multiply on the earth. 2 



In studying cells and their development it is important to 

 remember that neither amoeba nor germ cell can live after 

 it becomes dry, and that every dry amoeba ever found was 

 a dead amoeba. So it is with germ cells ; the mere fact of 

 dryness kills them. No germ cell can live and pass on the 

 life of the race if it stays in dry surroundings. This is true 

 of every kind of animal life, and it is interesting to see how 

 nature manages to keep these cells moist and useful even 

 when they belong to different kinds of creatures. 



It is easy to keep fish cells from drying up, because the 

 fish themselves live in water and lay their eggs there. But 

 even fish have trouble in getting the next generation safely 



1 As Weismann puts it, " In each development a portion of the specific 

 germinal plasm which the parental ovum contains is not used up in the 

 formation of the offspring, but is reserved unchanged for the formation of 

 the germinal cells of the following generations." 



2 In this discussion about evolution and about the laws of inheritance 

 there is often great disagreement of opinion among investigators. All 

 believe in evolution itself, but some put emphasis on one side of the sub- 

 ject, some on another side. Without exception, however, they are study- 

 ing facts, and the wisest among them are more anxious to arrive at the 

 truth than to establish their own individual point of view. 



