CHAPTER X 



DEFINITION OF ELEMENTARY LIFE IN CHEMICAL 



LANGUAGE 



IMPERFECT as may be the results obtained by our artificial 

 method of analysis, they already enable us to give a partial 

 definition of life. Clearly, this partial definition will com- 

 prise nothing that relates to colloidal or morphological 

 phenomena, since it is made quite apart from any con- 

 sideration of the form or structure of living bodies. Yet the 

 definition will contain that which is essential, since outside 

 of living beings we shall never find a phenomenon to which 

 it is altogether applicable. It therefore fulfils one of the 

 conditions by which we know a good definition. 



We can give the name of elementary life to the special 

 property of living beings which brings out clearly the specific 

 reaction assimilation under proper conditions. A body 

 is endowed with elementary life when at least some of its 

 constituent substances, by reacting effectively in deter- 

 minate conditions, are capable of quantitative augmenta- 

 tion while keeping their identity. And this, in other words, 

 is when they are capable of assimilating foreign elements, 

 taking the word " assimilate " in its etymological meaning 

 to make like to oneself. 



This partial definition refers to elementary life a chemical 

 property which, like all chemical properties, may or may 

 not manifest itself according to the case. 



With many living species we do not know the living 



