ii 4 THE MECHANISM OF LIFE 



unite and associate these, and to observe their development 

 under various external influences. 



The synthesis of life, should it ever occur, will not be the 

 sensational discovery which we usually associate with the idea. 

 If we accept the theory of evolution, then the first dawn of the 

 synthesis of life must consist in the production of forms inter- 

 mediate between the inorganic and the organic world — forms 

 which possess only some of the rudimentary attributes of life, 

 to which other attributes will be slowly added in the course of 

 development by the evolutionary action of the environment. 



Long ago, the penetrating genius of Lamarck seized on the 

 idea that a knowledge of life could only be obtained by the 

 comparison of organic with inorganic phenomena. He writes: 

 " If we would acquire a real knowledge of what constitutes life, 

 of what it consists, what are the causes and the laws which 

 give rise to this wonderful phenomenon of nature, and how 

 life can be the source of the multitude of forms presented to 

 us by living organisms, we must before all consider with great 

 attention the differences which exist between inorganic and 

 living bodies ; and for this purpose we must compare side by 

 side the essential characters of these two classes of bodies." 



Synthetic biology includes morphogeny, physiogeny, and 

 synthetic organic chemistry, which is also a branch of synthetic 

 biologv. since it deals with the composition of the constituents 

 of living organisms. Synthetic organic chemistry is alreadv a 

 well-organized science, important by reason of the triumphs 

 which it has already gained. The other two branches of 

 biological synthesis, morphogeny, the synthesis of living forms 

 and structures, and physiogeny, the synthesis of functions, can 

 hardly as yet be said to exist as sciences. They are. however, 

 no less legitimate and no less important than the sister science 

 of synthetic chemistry. 



Although morphogeny and physiogeny do not exist as 

 well-organized and recognized sciences, there are alreadv a 

 number of works on the subject by enthusiastic pioneers — 

 independent seekers, who have not feared to abandon the 

 paths of official science to wander in new and hitherto 

 unexplored domains. 



