PROTOPLASM IN GENERAL. 



Protoplasm in General To sum up in few words. The 

 term protoplasm has been applied to the viscid substance 

 within the primordial utricle of the vegetable cell and to the 

 threads and filaments formed in this matter ; to the primordial 

 utricle itself; to this and the substances which it encloses; 

 and to all these things, together with the cellulose wall ; to 

 the matter composing the sarcode of the foraminifera, to 

 that which constitutes the amoeba, white blood-corpuscle, 

 and other naked masses of living matter; to the matter 

 between the so-called nucleus and muscular tissue, and to 

 the contractile matter itself; to everything which exhibits 

 contractility; to nerve-fibres, and to other structures pos- 

 sessing remarkable endowments ; to the soft matter within 

 an elementary part, as a cell of epithelium; to the hard 

 external part of such a cell ; to the entire epithelial cell ; to 

 slimy matter dredged from great depths under the sea ; and 

 lastly, to matter existing only in the imagination.* 



Inanimate albuminous matter which is incapable of any 

 movement whatever, and which does not develop into any 

 living thing, which in all conditions is perfectly lifeless, has 

 been looked upon as protoplasm. Living things have been 

 spoken of as masses of protoplasm ; the same things dead 

 have been said to be protoplasm. If the matter of an 

 animal be boiled or roasted, it does not thereby lose its 

 title to be called protoplasm ! and there seems no reason 

 why it should not be dissolved, and yet retain its name 

 protoplasm. 



It is therefore very difficult to see what advantage is 

 gained by the use of this word "protoplasm." If we call a cell 



* See remarks on pages 108 and in. 



