THE LIVING STRUCTURES 109 



comes about by chance. The inorganic forces like elec- 

 tricity, heat, etc. do not produce anything for a purpose 

 nor do rocks and dead matter produce machines or 

 houses. Mr. Haeckel states: -"We notice the very re- 

 markable fact that the egg cell in its original condition is 

 so exactly the same in man as in all other animals that it 

 is impossible to discover any essential difference." 



He gives the following figure 9 to illustrate this, and 

 then he goes on and gives a description of the cell to show 

 what a perfect and complete animal he is. He says : "In 

 order to be thoroughly convinced that every cell is an 

 independent organism, it is only necessary to trace the 

 active phenomenon and development of one of these tiny 

 bodies. We then see that it performs all the essential 

 life functions which the entire organism accomplishes. 

 Every one of these little beings grows and feeds itself in- 

 dependently. It assimilates juices from without, absorb- 

 ing them from the surrounding fluid. The naked cells 

 can even take up solid particles at any point of their sur- 

 face and therefore eat without using any mouth or stom- 

 ach. Each separate cell is also able to reproduce itself 

 and to increase. This increase generally takes place by 

 simple division. The nucleus parting first by a contrac- 

 tion round its circumference into two parts, after which 

 the protoplasm likewise separates into two divisions. The 

 single cell is also able to move and creep about if it has 

 room for free motion and if not prevented by a solid cov- 

 ering. From its outer surface it sends out and draws back 

 agai-n finger like processes, thereby modifying its form. 

 Finally the young cell has feeling and is more or less sen- 

 sitive. It performs certain movements on the application 

 of chemical and mechanical irritance. Thus we can trace 

 in the single cell all the essential functions, the sum of 

 which constitute the idea of life, feeling, motion, nutrition 



