CONTROL 127 



from the circular cord to the arms, in the starfish, or equi- 

 valent positions in the sea-urchin. 



In typical Segmental organisms, equivalent to megazooidal 

 series whose units, in development, have fused to form one 

 indivisible organism, we find that as digestive and vascular 

 systems have linked up in continuity so have the nerve- 

 rings of ancestral megazooids. This is well seen in the 

 humbler Segmental Individuals where megazooidal ganglia 

 have been linked together to form a chain running the length 

 of the animal. This is referred to in connection with the 

 earthworm (page 120) and the evolution of the fish 

 (page 192). 



The preservation of a living system's identity is in reality 

 the preservation of the Continuity it exhibits ; therefore 

 the Control of a living system is essentially the governing 

 force by which it maintains this Continuity, and with this 

 its cell-arrest. These are the two factors which allow the 

 development of special functions all working for the preser- 

 vation of identity. The control of the body is not, however, 

 carried out by an absolutely autocratic centre. The govern- 

 ment is constitutional, every cell has, so to speak, a vote, 

 and the decrees which issue from the centre are, if not always 

 in response to petition, at least criticised by the cells. 

 Clearly the number of parties and individual interests to 

 be satisfied is enormous, and there is never peace within 

 the living body. One can thus see that Control has evolved 

 not as an independent factor, but as part of an evolving 

 balancing equation whose developing functions must inevit- 

 ably influence each other. 



Control cannot be separated from Arrest ; in fact it 

 implies the power to arrest, to maintain arrest, and to release 

 from arrest. In a word, controlled growth is essentially a 

 matter of carefully balancing arrest and release from arrest 

 on a plan which ensures the development and preservation 

 of the Individual's identity or personality. When this 

 balance is lost, or when control fails, then in the part con- 

 cerned there is uncontrolled or atypical growth, a subject 

 to be mentioned later. The break-down of the central 

 control-system entails the complete discontinuity of the 

 Individual's parts ; the loss of identity ; Death. 



