No. 642] VARIATION IN INDIVIDUAL GENE 



37 



causes whatever specific structure it has to be auto-attrac- 

 tive (and autocataMic). 



This auto-attraction is evidently a strong force, exert- 

 ing an appreciable effect against the non-specific mutual 

 repulsions of the chromosomes, over measurable micro- 

 scopic distances much larger than in the case of the ordi- 

 nary forces of so-called cohesion, adhesion and adsorp- 

 tion known to physical science. In this sense, then, the 

 physicist has no parallel for this force. There seems, 

 however, to be no way of escaping the conclusion that in 

 the last analysis it must be of the same nature as these 

 other forces which cause inorganic substances to have 

 specific attractions for each other, according to their 

 chemical composition. These inorganic forces, according 

 to the newer physics, depend upon the arrangement and 

 mode of motion of the electrons constituting the molecules, 

 which set up electro-magnetic fields of force of specific 

 patterns. To find the principle peculiar to the construc- 

 tion of the force-field pattern of genes would accordingly 

 be requisite for solving the problem of their tremendous 

 auto-attraction. 



Now, according: to Troland (1917), the s:rowtli of crys- 

 tals from a solution is due to an attraction between the 

 solid crystal and the molecules m solution caused by 

 the similaritv of their force field patterns, somewhat as 

 similar] V shaped magnets might attract each otlier — 

 north to south poles — and Troland maintains that essen- 

 tiallv the same mechanism must operate in the auto- 

 catalNMs ot tlic licfc'ditarv ]-)articles. If he is right, each 

 (lillciciii poi-tKiM (>l i1m' u'ciie structure must — like a 

 er\sta! atlrnct to it>flL trom the ])rotoplasm materials 

 of a -iiiiilai- kind, tliu- iiiouldiiiii- next to the original gene 

 another >trnftnri" with Miiiilar ]>arrs, ideiiticallv arranged, 

 wliirli tlicii bccoiiie hound tdufthcr to lorni another gene, 

 ci i(j)h< 1 ..t th( hiM Ihi^ d<H- not M)l\e the question 



