52 THE EVOLUTION OF CONTINUITY 



is the result of its work in the face of, or as affected by 

 Repulsion. Nor has Attraction been sweepingly victorious 

 all along the line. Thus we have Discontinuously Multi- 

 cellular Individuals with us at the present day, as well as 

 fixed examples of the higher forms of Continuity, but each 

 continuity-form (and this includes the free cell itself) marks 

 a further victory for dominant Attraction which evolved 

 and maintained it. As will be shown later, the compressing 

 factor has constantly proceeded by maintaining a certain 

 " percentage " of its results, and by multiplying or intensify- 

 ing the remainder into something higher. 



To repeat our opinion. Environment as special evolu- 

 tionary force has produced Continuity, maintained it, and 

 multiplied it ; and Evolution is fundamentally the evolution 

 of Continuity. 



Continuity, however, is only obtained at a certain cost, 

 and the price paid for cellular continuity is Cell-arrest. On 

 the other hand, it is through this Arrest, the product of 

 Continuity, that special cell-function has been made possible. 

 It is through Continuity that in higher types certain cells 

 of the developing Individual evolve on side-paths to become 

 differentiated fixed tissues, and fail to finish their cycles. 



But living Continuity varies in its severity or thoroughness, 

 and thus there are organisms in whom it is more apparent 

 than real, and in whom there is only slight or temporary 

 arrest and no special cell-adaptation to function ; while in 

 those of higher Continuity the great majority of the developing 

 cells are ultimately permanently arrested to perform special 

 functions for the common good. Such cells, whose cyclic 

 evolution has been on side-paths, and which do not finish 

 their cycles, remain to represent what are called the " somatic 

 tissues." 



This brings us to a statement of the four all-important 

 laws of Growth, namely : — 



All Growth is a Manifestation of the Forces of 



Attraction and Repulsion in Action. 

 Fertilisation produces Multicellularity. 

 Environment Produces Continuity. 

 Continuity Produces Arrest. 



