86 The Unity of the Organism 



meaning can the whole remarkable series of phenomena of 

 maturation and fertilization have than that attributed to 

 them by the chromosome theory? My rejoinder to this 

 argument may begin with a reply to the question. As long 

 as knowledge of the chemistry and physiology of cells 

 germ-cells with the rest is as fragmentary and inconclusive 

 as it now is, certainty as to the meaning of the phenomena 

 mentioned is out of the question. However, it would seem 

 quite probable that they are concerned primarily with the 

 nutritive and assimilative processes of the cell and only 

 derivatively with heredity. Furthermore, the question asked 

 may well be paired off with another of similar character, 

 namely, what is the meaning of the almost if not quite com- 

 plete breaking up and disappearance of the chromosomes in 

 the so-called resting stages of the immature germ-cells, this 

 being accompanied by the dissolution of the nuclear mem- 

 brane so as to allow the freest possible commingling of the 

 whole nuclear contents with the cytoplasm of the cell? Have 

 we not at least as much factual right to suppose that during 

 this mixing of substances the chromatin, and so later the 

 chromosomes, are influenced by the cytoplasm, as that the 

 reverse influence takes place? Is it not entirely possible 

 that this process is one of the very means or occasions of 

 impressing the chromosomes with the attributes of the or- 

 ganism which, as we have seen, apparently must take place 

 whether acquired characters are ever inherited or not? 



And now as to the argument from the assumed exclusive 

 participation of the chromosomes of the male germ-cell in 

 fertilization. First of all, it can not be admitted for a 

 moment that the chromosomes are proved to be as ex- 

 clusively the fertilizing agents as they are generally as- 

 sumed to be. Even in such extreme cases of seeming ex- 

 clusiveness of chromosomal participation as that claimed 

 by Strasburger for the pollen cells of some plants, neither 

 Strasburger nor any one else has claimed, so far as I know, 



