LIVING MATTER 71 



this consists of a division, first of the nucleus Reproduc- 

 and secondly of the whole cell into two portions, 

 so that where there was previously but one 

 amoeba, now there are two. It is obvious that 

 in such a case it is impossible to speak of mother 

 and daughter, since both cells might lay claim 

 to either title, each representing one half of the 

 original cell. Some such process of multi- 

 plication takes place in all living things, but 

 this important matter is one which will re- 

 quire fuller treatment in a succeeding 

 chapter. 



Last scene of all which ends this strange event- 

 ful history, the amoeba may die. Weismann 

 teaches that the unicellular organism is poten- 

 tially immortal, and indeed there seems to be 

 no reason why an amoeba should not go on 

 living for an indefinite period, unless we regard 

 the time when a given amoeba divides into two 

 new forms as being really a period or moment 

 of dissolution and recreation. But, at any rate, 

 it is quite clear that we can kill an amoeba by 

 a strong current of electricity, by exposing it 

 1o a temperature higher than it can bear, or 

 by mixing certain chemicals with the water in 

 which it lives. Under any one of these cir- 

 cumstances the amoeba dies, that is the living 

 substance of which it consisted becomes not- 

 living and the oxygen and other chemical sub- 



