NUTRITION OF THE DETERMINANTS 47 



heterogeneous elements, and thus the difEerences are steadily 

 increased. 



Within the germ-plasm of the same individual the quantita- 

 tive and qualitative differences produced by oscillations in 

 intraplasmic nutrition cannot fail to increase in proportion as 

 the number of determinants in the germ-plasm increases. For 

 in the course of development a vast number of germ-cells are 

 produced ; and when a given determinant increases from 1 to 

 100,000, it is scarcely conceivable that this number can be 

 otherwise than affected by the changes of intraplasmic nutri- 

 tion ; and different conditions of nutrition wiU bring forth different 

 conditions in the determinants. Heterogeneous determinants 

 will respond differently to homogeneous influences. And as the 

 nucleus of somatic cells contains also, in the somatic idioplasm, 

 determinants identical with those of the germ, the soma can 

 react to the same influences in the same manner as the germ 

 did. Under the influence of these environmental conditions, 

 identical changes can be effected in the soma and in the germ- 

 plasm ; these changes may be subsequently transmitted, and 

 that independently of their original cause. In this manner it 

 sometimes appears as if acquired characteristics of an exclu- 

 sively somatic nature had been transmitted, whereas this is 

 not the case. 



Every weakening of a determinant — that is to say, every 

 weakening due to insufficient intraplasmic nutrition — entails 

 concurrently a weakening of that determinant's power of assimila- 

 tion. Thus a determinant which has once entered on the path 

 of regression finds itself in a vicious circle. In proportion as 

 its assimilatory powers are diminished, the neighbouring deter- 

 minants are able to draw an ever-increasing supply of nourish- 

 ment to themselves at the expense of the weaker determinant. 

 As the supply of nutritive matter is not unlimited, every increase 

 in the nutritive supply of one group of determinants entails 

 a corresponding loss in the supply of another group. Thus the 



