124 FUNCTIONAL INERTIA 



As for the " automatic " and rhythmical phe- 

 nomena, which internal stimuli are supposed to 

 " explain/' we have seen they are activities resulting 

 from the possession by the protoplasm of little 

 affectability and much inertia : partly through 

 responses to certain stimuli and partly by disregard 

 of others in virtue of these two properties, the active 

 living matter goes through a cycle of metabolic 

 phases the visible or recordable aspect or outcome 

 of which is the automatism or rhythm in question. 



In the same way to " nutrition " or " nutritional 

 states " are by some writers credited the phenomena 

 which by others are credited to internal stimuli. 

 Now this nutrition in more precise language means 

 predominant anabolism (assimilation) in consequence 

 of plenty accessible nourishment for the protoplasm : 

 as long as food is present, it will assimilate some 

 of it this is life, of the very essence of life, only 

 living matter can do this. How does it do it ? 

 By possessing the property of affectability towards 

 food as stimulus : the living stuff "responds" to the 

 presence of food in its vicinity by engulfing it- 

 assimilating it performing anabolism this is life, 

 this is what the non-living cannot do. 



The relationship between food as stimulus and 

 the living biogens, in virtue of which food is assimi- 

 lated and no anti-bodies formed, is called affect- 

 ability, it is of the essence of livingness : the non- 

 living cannot assimilate although it is affectable. 



But anabolism cannot proceed indefinitely or 

 alone ; it is concomitant with katabolism ; it leads 



