5 8 PROTOPLASM. 



of the elements of which are about to be converted into 

 germinal matter, shall be b; and the non-living formed 

 material resulting from changes in the germinal matter, c. 



It is to be remarked that b does not contain c in solu- 

 tion, neither can c be made out of b unless b first passes 

 through the condition a, and a cannot be formed artificially, 

 but must come from pre-existing a. 



In all cases b is transformed by a into a, and a under- 

 goes conversion into c. Can anything be more unlike 

 chemical and physical change ? Neither a, nor #, nor c can 

 be made by the chemist ; nor if you give him b can he 

 make a or c out of it ; nor can he tell you anything about 

 the "molecular condition" or chemical constitution of a, 

 for the instant he commences his analysis a has ceased to 

 be a, and he is merely dealing with products resulting from 

 the death of a, not with the actual living a itself. The 

 course which the pabulum takes in the nutrition of the 

 germinal matter of a cell is represented by the arrows in 

 fig. 23, pi. VII. 



The nature of the process of nutrition is more fully 

 discussed towards the end of the next section, " OF LIFE." 



Of the Increase of Cells. Several distinct modes of cell 

 increase or multiplication have been described, but in all 

 cases the process depends upon the germinal matter only. 

 It is this which divides ; and it is the only part of the cell 

 which is actively concerned in the process of multiplication. 

 It may divide into two or more equal portions, or give off 

 many buds or offsets, each of which grows as a separate 

 body as soon as it is detached. (PI. VIII.) 



The formed material of the cell is perfectly passive in 



