262 THE WORLD-ENERGY 



between the organic and the inorganic unit. The latter 

 is also constituted by a process. But in order that the 

 unit may be preserved, the process through which it came 

 into existence must cease. This is conspicuously true in 

 case either of a crystal or of a chemical compound. On 

 the other hand, the organic unit, instead of being pre- 

 served, is at once destroyed by the cessation of the pro- 

 cess by which it came into existence as an organic unit. 

 The functions which constitute it as a living unit must 

 continue without interruption in order to preserve its 

 existence as a living unit. Thus its parts are in more or 

 less pronounced degree members or organs, each of which 

 has a necessary function- in the total complex process 

 which the animal itself may alike be said to constitute 

 and to be constituted by. Hence the removal of any of 

 its members so far deranges the process, or stops the pro- 

 cess altogether. And in any case the severed member, in 

 the very fact of its severance, at once loses the char- 

 acteristic process of life and speedily dissolves into merely 

 mechanical and chemical units. Thus the division of the 

 living unit results necessarily in death, partial or total. 

 Death is, indeed, an aspect necessarily involved in life. 

 And it is so in this way: The functional efficiency of this 

 or that portion of matter included in the organism ceases. 

 By that fact such portion becomes separated from the 

 organism, and in its separation loses its organic character. 

 That is, it "dies." And this "dying" of parts within 

 the organism must continue so long as the organism con- 

 tinues to live; that is, so long as it continues to be an 

 organism. 



The apparent exceptions which the cases of gemma- 

 tion, and especially of fission, offer to the rule that divi- 



