CHAPTER V 



The assumption that acquired traits are not trans- 

 missible is founded on the theory that a multicellular 

 organism is compounded of unicellular organisms ad- 

 herent together for the common benefit, or rather, as 

 regards higher animals and plants, that a multicellular 

 organism is compounded of unicellular organisms ad- 

 herent for the better preservation of the race ; which 

 preservation is further subserved by the differentiation 

 and specialization of the cells, the somatic cells being 

 specialized for the performance of the various functions 

 whereby the mass is brought into harmony with the 

 environment, and the germ cells are placed at an advan- 

 tage; the germ cells being so specialized that after con- 

 jugation they proliferate into organisms (i. e. adherent 

 cell-communities) like to that of which they were cell- 

 members. Thus a higher animal or plant is compar- 

 able to a swarm of bees, in which the workers correspond 

 to the somatic cells, whereas the queens correspond to 

 the germ cells ; but there are these obvious differences, 

 (1) that the workers cannot reproduce themselves, 

 whereas the somatic cells are able to reproduce them- 

 selves for a limited, or in some cases for an unlimited, 

 number of generations (e. g. in such plants as propagate 

 by means of suckers or cuttings) ; and (2) that from 

 the queens may be derived many swarms, whereas from 

 the germ cell is derived only one organism. It is per- 

 haps needless to remark, that the cells are not conscious 



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