CHAPTER 7. 

 CAUSE OF HEREDITY. 



It always has been and today still seems to be a stand- 

 ing mystery how the seed from a plant, tree, animal or 

 insect can develop into the same kind of living structure 

 as the one from which it came. Why does a kernel of 

 corn develop into a corn plant and not into a sunflower? 

 There is, however, nothing very mysterious about this 

 when we consider all the facts in the case. The kernel of 

 corn is a cell, a living animal or being. Where did he 

 come from? What has been his former experience? 

 What has he been doing and what does he know? 

 When we look up his past history we find that he has 

 been in the business of building corn plants for ages. He 

 has been educated in that work and none other. He has 

 been sent into the world with instructions to build the 

 corn plant and has been provided with enough food and 

 building material to get a good start in life. Mr. Ribot 

 defines heredity as "that biological law by which all be- 

 ings endowed with life tend to repeat themselves in their 

 descendants." I think Spencer gives a better definition. 

 He states that it is "the capacity of every plant or animal 

 to produce other individuals of a like kind." The cause 

 of heredity is the intellect of the cell based on his power of 

 memory. 



Every intelligent animal or being has a memory where 



