

WHAT IS LIFE? 33 



have for their existence. After Mr. Loeb has stated that 

 light has certain effects upon the organism he makes the 

 further statement : "While this chemical action is of the 

 utmost importance for organisms the nutrition of which 

 depends upon the action of chlorophyll, it becomes of less 

 importance for organisms devoid of chlorophyll." The 

 word chlorophyll is intended to mean a power in plant 

 cells to make starch for food from the raw material of 

 earth, air and water by the assistance of sunlight. You 

 will notice from this statement that those cells who do 

 not understand how to make starch by the aid of sunlight, 

 are not attracted by sunlight in the manner that others 

 are. 



Matter at the present time is classified into about 80 

 elements. These elements can be again broken up into 

 molecules, molecules into atoms, and the atoms into elec- 

 trons. All things in this world seem to be in motion. 

 There is no real rest anywhere. It is always only appar- 

 ent or relative. Heat and light themselves, which con- 

 stantly change, are merely forms of motion. One writer 

 states : "In the eternal play of cosmic bodies, countless 

 suns and planets rush hither and thither in infinite space. 

 In every chemical composition and decomposition the 

 atoms or smallest particles of matter are in motion and so 

 are the molecules they compose." 



We will find later upon further investigation that some 

 cells carry with them a chemical laboratory where they 

 are able to direct and forge the atoms into the larger mole- 

 cules of matter to suit their needs. 



Charles G. Gibson in his "Scientific Ideas of Today," 

 states : "We picture the elementary atoms grouping 

 themselves into little congregations called molecules. We 

 picture the atoms grabbing hold of one another and we 

 find that the different atoms have different grabbing pow- 



