I4-0 



THE MECHANISM OF LIFE 



mobile osmotic growths, which swim about in the mother liquor 

 and are often provided with prolongations in the forms of cilia, 

 and sometimes with fins, which undulate as they move. Some 

 of these ciliary hairs are evidently osmotic in their origin. 

 being localized as a tuft at the summit of the growth. Others 



are apparently crys- 

 talline in structure, and 

 are spread over the 

 whole surface of the 

 swimming vesicle. An 

 osmotic growth in- 

 creases by the absorp- 

 tion of water from a 

 concentrated solution. 

 When the solution is 

 originally saturated it 

 thus becomes super- 

 saturated, and deposits 

 these long ciliary crys- 

 tals on the surface of 

 the growth. 



When a capsule 

 splits in two under the 

 influence of the internal 

 osmotic pressure, it may 

 happen that the oper- 

 culum or upper valve 

 Moats away in the 

 liquid. We thus obtain 

 a tree swimming organ - 

 ,111 undulating fringe, 



Fig. 54. — Capsular osmotic growth, the two 

 valves separated showing the colloidal con- 

 tents. 



ism, a transparent bell-like form wit! 

 like a Medusa. 



Frequently a single seed or stock will give rise to a whole 

 series of osmotic growths. A vesicle i- first produced, and 

 then a contraction appears around the vesicle, and this con- 

 traction increases till a portion of the vesicle is cut off and 

 swims away free like an amoeba. The same phenomenon may 

 be observed with vermiform growths, a single seed often giving 



