Organisms Consisting of One Cell 2G3 



are, like the Protista generally, nucleated organisms." ^- 

 But the most cursory examination of Dobell's figures makes 

 it obvious that what he regards as tlie nucleus is not what 

 Meyer believes to be this organ, excepting possibly in the 

 coccus fonns. Dobell's nucleus is, in most of the elongated 

 species, an axially elongated, usually extremely irregular, 

 more or less fragmentary affair, varying greatly for differ- 

 ent stages and conditions of the organisms. These two 

 investigators are severe in their criticism of each other's 

 work and conclusions. 



Various other structures are described and figured, and 

 various interpretations given, of the supposed nucleus of 

 the bacteria, but we need go no further at present with the 

 examination. Our main contention may be regarded as 

 established : structurally viewed there is no longer any room 

 for doubt that the bacteria are organisms in the usual sense 

 of that term, that is, in the sense of possessing parts de- 

 voted to particular activities ; but that there is unlimited 

 room for doubt how, if at all, the conception "cell" as a 

 nucleated mass of protoplasm is to be applied to these or- 

 ganisms. Structurally viewed, I say, the case stands this 

 way. But if we approach the bacteria from the chemico- 

 physiological side, the case against the cellular and for the 

 organismal conception is still stronger. 



Bacteria Undoubted Organisms Whether ''True Celh'' 



or Not. 



It has been often remarked that Bacteriology is pre- 

 eminently the department of biology that relies on functional 

 rather than on structural attributes for its determinations. 

 This character of the science results from the extreme 

 minuteness of the creatures which renders morphological 

 study of them so difficult. One of the most striking, indeed 

 one of the most remarkable facts about "microbes" is that 



