2 SARCODE AND MUSCLE. PABT in. 



inert into living matter is one of the most characteristic 

 distinctions between the animal and vegetable king- 

 doms. 



Protoplasm was shown to be rudimentary formative 

 vegetable matter: so Sarcode, or rudimentary flesh, forms 

 the whole or part of every animal structure. It is a 

 semi-fluid substance, consisting of an albuminous base, 

 mixed with particles of oil in a state of very fine di- 

 vision. It is tenacious, extensile, contractile, and dia- 

 phanous, reflecting light more than water, but less than 

 oil. It is rendered perfectly transparent by citric acid, 

 and is dyed brown by iodine. This substance, in a ho- 

 mogeneous state, constitutes the whole frame of the 

 lowest grade of animal life ; but when gradually differ- 

 entiated into cell- wall and cell-contents, it becomes the 

 origin of animal structure from that which has little 

 more than mere existence to man himself; in fact, cel- 

 lular origin and cellular structure prevail throughout 

 every class of animal life. Unicellular plants and ani- 

 mals live for themselves independently and alone ; but 

 the cells which form part of the higher and compound 

 individuals of both kingdoms, may be said to have two 

 lives, one peculiarly their own, and another depending on 

 that of the organized beings of which they form a part. 



Flesh or muscle, which is organized sarcode, consists 

 of two parts, namely, bundles of muscular fibre im- 

 bedded in areolar tissue. Nervous matter also consists 

 of two parts, differing much in appearance and struc- 

 ture, the one being cellular, the other fibrous. The 

 vital activity of the nerves far surpasses that of every 

 other tissue ; but there is an inherent irritability in 

 muscular fibre altogether independent of nervous action : 

 both the nervous and muscular tissues are subject to 

 decay and waste. 



The blood, which is the ultimate result of the assimi- 

 lation of the food and respiration, conveys nourishment 



