152 From Matter to Man. 



reproduction seems to be a complete cell of the plant, 

 for the vital inbeing, essential individuality and class 

 characteristic of every organism is contained in this 

 almost microscopic germ and its nucleus. Nor is this 

 wonderful, when we reflect that each cell contains 

 millions of atoms, and millions of molecules, all neces- 

 sarily arranged in some structural order ; and further, 

 that all cells are not only motile automata, with in- 

 fallible likes and dislikes, attractions and repulsions, 

 but virtual automatic chemical laboratories ceaselessly 

 occupied in evolving the same specific products. 



The simplest mode of asexual reproduction is 

 spontaneous cell-division or fission. A growing cell 

 splits into two or more parts, each part, on separation, 

 reproducing the parent type. 



A higher mode is gemmation or budding. A bud 

 shoots out of the fungus which divides into four or 

 more parts ; these either produce cells which become 

 plants, or protophytic spores which, after a preliminary 

 canter as animals, stiffen, settle down, and develop 

 into vegetals. 



The lowest plant (and animal too, as we shall learn) 

 is thus probably a hermaphrodite, its reproduction 

 being effected by internal conjugation. That is, a 

 single living productive cell contains, in some way, 

 dual or sexual elements which, at a certain crisis, 

 automatically combine internally and afterwards repel 

 (generate) the like products of their sexual com- 

 bination. 



The simplest mode of sexual reproduction is by 



