48 THE INVISIBLE WORLD 



First, it is able to seize hold of matter outside 

 of, and very different from, itself, to digest, absorb 

 and transform this matter into matter like itself. 

 By this means the cell grows. 



Second, the cell is able to propagate, or to pro- 

 duce another bit of matter just like itself. 



So long as the cell exists, it seems to exercise 

 this twofold power continually. It assimilates 

 other matter to itself, and grows, until it becomes 

 about twice its normal size. In growing it be- 

 comes double in all its organs. Then it divides 

 into two equal parts, and each part becomes a per- 

 fect cell. These two cells grow and divide as be- 

 fore into four cells; these four into eight; these 

 eight into sixteen; these sixteen into thirty -two; 

 and so on, until the end in view is accomplished. 



Consider now that every complex organic Body, 

 be it plant or animal, is composed of cells, and 

 springs originally from a single cell. This orig- 

 inal cell comes itself from the cell of a previous 

 plant or aniinal. This new plant or animal be- 

 gins its life with this single cell. The cell grows, 

 divides and multiplies as already explained 

 adding cell to cell until the new plant or animal 

 is fully grown in all its parts. Besides, this single 

 cell is so endowed by its parentage that in grow- 

 ing, multiplying and producing the new plant or 

 animal, this new plant or animal is exactly in kind 

 and form the same as that parent from which this 

 first cell is derived. 



With a certain plan in mind, the architect lays 



