GENERAL BIOLOGY 



For every kind of cell there is a normal size, which being 

 attained, nucleus and cytoplasm act conjointly to bring 

 about a separation of the cell body into two equal parts, and 

 to perpetuate in each of the descandent cells the substance 

 and the characters inherited from past cell generations. 



When cells after division remain in contact they tend to 

 form individuals of a higher order. These may be merely 

 colonies of loosely associated and physiologically independ- 

 ent cells mere aggregates or, if the cells become inti- 

 mately associated in relations of mutual dependence, then 

 each aggregate becomes a unit organism. In organisms of 

 this compound sort new individuals may be formed by 

 external agencies. The filament of Spirogyra, for instance, 

 may be broken into a number of parts, and each part, pro- 

 vided it contain an uninjured cell, may become a new fila- 

 ment. New individuals of such 

 branching types as Cladophora or 

 Dinobryon are formed when the 

 older parts connecting branches to- 

 gether meet with accident or death 

 and the connection is dissolved. 

 These are negative processes, that 

 do not account for the production of 

 anything new; it should be clearly 

 recognized that cell division is the 

 universal mode of increase among 

 organisms. 



2. Sexual reproduction. In a 

 few minor groups of the smaller 

 organisms, cell division goes on un- 

 interruptedly, and is the only 



FIG. 66. Cercomonas (in part i 1 



after Daiiinger). a, divi- known phenomenon of reproduc- 



sion; b, a normal individual- j.- r n , 



c. an individual approach- tion > but in all the larger and 



ing the time for conjuga- i i_ r 



tk>n;d, the beginning of con- higher forms of life (and in so 



jugation; e, end of conjuga- r ,1 < 



tion and fusion of nuclei many ot the simpler ones also that 



