IO2 Hypothesis of Structure of Germ Substance 



entire mass or for the restoration of the masses of any of 

 its specific elements, as at the time when these latter were 

 being used up in proportion as they became activated. 

 And perhaps this explains also why the sex cells, which 

 according to our hypothesis form only the container for 

 the germinal substance given off by the central zone, 

 usually become "ripe" only at the end of development. 



When the continuous activation of new specific po- 

 tential elements ceases, the disturbing influences exercised 

 by the central zone upon the dynamic equilibrium of each 

 ontogenetic stage will cease also. And thus the organism 

 arrives at the final equilibrium of the adult condition. 

 But now the functional stimulus in the widest sense of the 

 term can come into play, with the innumerable variations 

 possible for it, as new causes of perturbation. 



So just as formerly the perturbing influence of the 

 central zone upset the just formed equilibrium, and there- 

 by provoked a transition to the next ontogenetic stage, 

 so now each persisting alteration of the functional stimu- 

 lus disturbs the dynamic equilibrium of the adult condi- 

 tion and thereby causes also a different distribution of the 

 general nervous energy. Through each cell of the entire 

 organism, or of definite portions of the organism, there 

 will consequently flow a nervous current specifically dif- 

 ferent from that present before, and also specifically dif- 

 ferent from one cell to another. 



There is formed and deposited therefore in the nu- 

 cleus of each of these cells a particular specific potential 

 element, which will add itself to the element or elements 

 already present. But all the elements, the new as well as 

 the old, which are deposited in the somatic nuclei will be 

 lost with the death of the individual ; and only those will 

 be preserved from annihilation, which have been depos- 



