CHAPTER II 



THE CONTINUITY OF VITAL PROCESSES 



The properties of living matter — Life as conditioned by moisture 

 and temperature — Metabolism and the intus-seption of new 

 matter or integration ; and waste or disintegration by oxi- 

 dation — The cyclic process — Chemical composition and 

 protoplasm — Life and organisation — Bastian on protoplasm 

 — Stimulation — Work — Herbert Spencer's definition of life 

 — Fechner's views — The continuity of the animate and in- 

 animate when clearly defined — Three stages that science 

 has to pass : empirical, classificatory, and theoretical. 



Befoke entering at length upon the subject of the 

 origin of the simplest types of semi-living forms, it 

 will be necessary to clear our minds at the outset as 

 to what we mean, and what is generally meant, by 

 living things. It will not be enough to regard 

 radiobes as living because some authorities claim that 

 even crystals should be included in that category. 



By life we mean something more than mere static 

 aggregations of molecules, even if they can grow and 

 subdivide. Growth in such cases may be merely by 

 accretion or accumulation of layers one over the other 

 as it werCp whilst subdivision may be merely by 

 cleavage. Life means something more thail this. It 

 is an actual flux or continuous change of substance in 

 a specialised unstable state of motion. Once this 



