LIFE 



certain shape, but solely the physiological function of 

 plasmodomism — a process of chemical synthesis. 



The difference between the monera I have described 

 and any higher organism is, I think, greater in every 

 respect than the difference between the organic monera 

 and the inorganic crystals. Nay, even the difference 

 between the unnucleated monera (as cytodes) and the 

 real nucleated cells may fairly be regarded as greater 

 still. Even in the simplest real cell we find the distinc- 

 tion between two different organella, or "cell-organs," 

 the internal nucleus and the outer cell-body. The 

 caryoplasm of the nucleus discharges t!ie functions of 

 reproduction and heredity; the cytoplasm of the cell- 

 body accomplishes the metabolism, nutrition, and adap- 

 tation. Here we have, therefore, the first, oldest, and 

 most important process of division of labor in the 

 elementary organism. In the unicellular protists the 

 organization rises in proportion to the differentiation of 

 the various parts of the cell; in the tissue-forming 

 histona it rises again in proportion to the distribution 

 of work (or ergonomy) among the various organs. 

 Darwin has given us in his theory of selection a me- 

 chanical explanation of the apparent design and pur- 

 posiveness in this. 



In order to have a correct monistic conception of 

 organization, it is important to distinguish the individ- 

 uality of the organism in its various stages of composi- 

 tion. We shall treat this important question, about 

 which there is a good deal of obscurity and contradiction, 

 in a special chapter (vii.). It suffices for the moment 

 to point out that the unicellular beings (protists) are 

 simple organisms both in regard to morphology and 

 physiology. On the other hand, this is only true in the 

 physiological sense of the histona, the tissue-forming 

 animals and plants. From the morphological point of 

 view they are made up of innumerable cells, which form 



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