Transformations Show Epigenetic Somatization 89 



Barfurth has demonstrated that during the first stages 

 of development this regeneration is complete. And Roux 

 has found that if one cuts quite young frog embryos 

 into longitudinal or antero-posterior halves the missing 

 parts are completely regenerated in a few hours. 59 



On the other hand, if the regeneration of the optic 

 lens in the triton from a tissue other than that from 

 which it is developed in ontogeny, is of itself enough 

 to exclude preformation decisively, it is nevertheless not 

 in any way incompatible with the most complete nuclear 

 somatization. If one admits this latter, the histological 

 transformation of certain cells would indicate only the 

 possibility that in certain ways somatized nuclei may 

 become differently somatized, if unusual influences are 

 exerted upon them by neighboring nuclei, that is if 

 nervous energies other than the usual ones act upon 

 them; and they would undergo this new somatization 

 through the gradual acquisition of new specific, potential 

 somatic elements, different from the former ones. By 

 itself this transformation certainly does not prove that 

 all nuclei of the different cells consist of like idioplasm. 



Further there is no firm support for this supposed 

 idioplasmic identity of the nuclei in the researches deal- 

 ing with vegetable and animal grafts. 



In order to support such a hypothesis effectively, 

 these investigations would have to show a closer relation- 

 ship or "harmonicity" (as Vochting would say) between 

 different tissues of the same individual or of individuals 

 belonging to the same species, than between like tissues 



"Roux: Uber die verschiedene Entwicklung isolierter erster 

 Blastomeren. Arch. f. Entwicklungsmech. der Organismen, 1895, 

 Band, I. Heft 4. P. 614. 



