The Round of Life. 63 
circulates in a steady stream, just beneath the wall, around each 
cell; passing up one side, across the end, down the other, and so 
round, to complete the circuit ; carrying with it small particles, or 
the larger green grains, which make the current more visible. 
This circulation may also be seen in hairs of plants, particularly 
those of flowers,—such as the jointed hairs of Spiderwort, and the 
hairs of the nettle, looking like strings of beads, each bead being 
acell. The substance which shows independent movement in 
the cells and hairs of plants and the little rounded mass of sea- 
weed is protoplasm. ‘This constitutes life, or the physical basis of 
life. It is present in the circulatory system of animals as well as 
plants, and is in every respect characterised in the same way in 
both. But these particles are so very minute that to see them 
distinctly requires a magnifying power of six or eight hundred 
diameters. Every plant proceeds from a single extremely minute 
vesicle, or cell. Growth takes place through this vesicle, or cell, 
dividing by the partition of a cross partition into two such cells, 
cohering together ; one of these into two more ; and these repeat- 
ing the process by partitions made in both directions, forming a 
cluster, or mass of cells essentially like the first, and all proceeding 
from it. So the plant is an aggregation of countless millions of 
little vesicles, or cells, essentially like the cell it began with in the 
formation of the embryo; and this first cell is the foundation of 
the whole structure, or the ancestor of all the rest. 
Now, it is impossible that this little vesicle, or cell, which is 
but a very small fraction of a grain in weight, and so little as to 
require high magnifying powers to be seen, could increase itself 
into a large tree containing innumerable millions of living cells 
equal to itself, the whole many tons in weight, without the existence 
of vital force or actual life. To do this the little cell, and those 
proceeding from it, by some law unknown to us, have the power 
of converting inorganic, or dead matter into organic, or living 
matter—that is, of feeding upon and assimilating inorganic sub- 
stances. It is, therefore, evident, that life is drawn from and built 
up of non-life. We, however, only know life as associating with 
or following preceding life ; yet, we do know that it is built up of 
the elements composing non-life, or inorganic things; that is, 
matter is taken up, and from a state of death and inactivity is 
changed to a state of life and activity. 
Plants are built up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with a 
small proportion of ammonia, and from two to ten per cent of 
other inorganic matter. We know the chemical composition of 
plants, but by bringing these elements together, we cannot produce 
life. As well might we expect a temple adorned with architectural 
beauty to spring into existence from throwing the raw material 
together, as to expect life to develop from bringing the elements 
