autobiography and selected essays-第29章
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drawing in and thrusting out prolongations of their substance; and
creeping about as if they were independent organisms。
The substance which is thus active is a mass of protoplasm; and its
activity differs in detail; rather than in principle; from that of
the protoplasm of the nettle。 Under sundry circumstances the
corpuscle dies and becomes distended into a round mass; in the
midst of which is seen a smaller spherical body; which existed; but
was more or less hidden; in the living corpuscle; and is called its
nucleus。 Corpuscles of essentially similar structure are to be
found in the skin; in the lining of the mouth; and scattered
through the whole framework of the body。 Nay; more; in the
earliest condition of the human organism; in that state in which it
has but just become distinguishable from the egg in which it
arises; it is nothing but an aggregation of such corpuscles; and
every organ of the body was; once; no more than such an
aggregation。
Thus a nucleated mass of protoplasm turns out to be what may be
termed the structural unit of the human body。 As a matter of fact;
the body; in its earliest state; is a mere multiple of such units;
and in its perfect condition; it is a multiple of such units;
variously modified。
But does the formula which expresses the essential structural
character of the highest animal cover all the rest; as the
statement of its powers and faculties covered that of all others?
Very nearly。 Beast and fowl; reptile and fish; mollusk; worm; and
polype; are all composed of structural units of the same character;
namely; masses of protoplasm with a nucleus。 There are sundry very
low animals; each of which; structurally; is a mere colourless
blood…corpuscle; leading an independent life。 But; at the very
bottom of the animal scale; even this simplicity becomes
simplified; and all the phaenomena of life are manifested by a
particle of protoplasm without a nucleus。 Nor are such organisms
insignificant by reason of their want of complexity。 It is a fair
question whether the protoplasm of those simplest forms of life;
which people an immense extent of the bottom of the sea; would not
outweigh that of all the higher living beings which inhabit the
land put together。 And in ancient times; no less than at the
present day; such living beings as these have been the greatest of
rock builders。
What has been said of the animal world is no less true of plants。
Imbedded in the protoplasm at the broad; or attached; end of the
nettle hair; there lies a spheroidal nucleus。 Careful examination
further proves that the whole substance of the nettle is made up of
a repetition of such masses of nucleated protoplasm; each contained
in a wooden case; which is modified in form; sometimes into a woody
fibre; sometimes into a duct or spiral vessel; sometimes into a
pollen grain; or an ovule。 Traced back to its earliest state; the
nettle arises as the man does; in a particle of nucleated
protoplasm。 And in the lowest plants; as in the lowest animals; a
single mass of such protoplasm may constitute the whole plant; or
the protoplasm may exist without a nucleus。
Under these circumstances it may well be asked; how is one mass of
non…nucleated protoplasm to be distinguished from another? why call
one 〃plant〃 and the other 〃animal〃?
The only reply is that; so far as form is concerned; plants and
animals are not separable; and that; in many cases; it is a mere
matter of convention whether we call a given organism an animal or
a plant。 There is a living body called Aethalium septicum; which
appears upon decaying vegetable substances; and; in one of its
forms; is common upon the surfaces of tan…pits。 In this condition
it is; to all intents and purposes; a fungus; and formerly was
always regarded as such; but the remarkable investigations of De
Bary '99' have shown that; in another condition; the Aethalium is an
actively locomotive creature; and takes in solid matters; upon
which; apparently; it feeds; thus exhibiting the most characteristic
feature of animality。 Is this a plant; or is it an animal?
Is it both; or is it neither? Some decide in favour of the last
supposition; and establish an intermediate kingdom; a sort
of biological No Man's Land '100' for all these questionable forms。
But; as it is admittedly impossible to draw any distinct boundary line
between this no man's land and the vegetable world on the one hand;
or the animal; on the other; it appears to me that this proceeding
merely doubles the difficulty which; before; was single。
Protoplasm; simple or nucleated; is the formal basis of all life。
It is the clay of the potter: which; bake it and paint it as he
will; remains clay; separated by artifice; and not by nature; from
the commonest brick or sun…dried clod。
Thus it becomes clear that all living powers are cognate; and
that all living forms are fundamentally of one character。 The
researches of the chemist have revealed a no less striking
uniformity of material composition in living matter。
In perfect strictness; it is true that chemical investigation can
tell us little or nothing; directly; of the composition of living
matter; inasmuch as such matter must needs die in the act of
analysis;and upon this very obvious ground; objections; which I
confess seem to me to be somewhat frivolous; have been raised to
the drawing of any conclusions whatever respecting the composition
of actually living matter; from that of the dead matter of life;
which alone is accessible to us。 But objectors of this class do
not seem to reflect that it is also; in strictness; true that we
know nothing about the composition of any body whatever; as it is。
The statement that a crystal of calc…spar consists of carbonate of
lime; is quite true; if we only mean that; by appropriate
processes; it may be resolved into carbonic acid and quicklime。 If
you pass the same carbonic acid over the very quicklime thus
obtained; you will obtain carbonate of lime again; but it will not
be calc…spar; nor anything like it。 Can it; therefore; be said
that chemical analysis teaches nothing about the chemical
composition of calc…spar? Such a statement would be absurd; but it
is hardly more so than the talk one occasionally hears about the
uselessness of applying the results of chemical analysis to the
living bodies which have yielded them。
One fact; at any rate; is out of reach of such refinements; and
this is; that all the forms of protoplasm which have yet been
examined contain the four elements; carbon; hydrogen; oxygen; and
nitrogen; in very complex union; and that they behave similarly
towards several reagents。 To this complex combination; the nature
of which has never been determined with exactness; the name of
Protein has been applied。 And if we use this term with such
caution as may properly arise out of our comparative ignorance of
the things for which it stands; it may be truly said; that all
protoplasm is proteinaceous; or; as the white; or albumen; of an
egg is one of the commonest examples of a nearly pure proteine
matter; we may say that all living matter is more or less
albuminoid。
Perhaps it would not yet be safe to say that all forms of
protoplasm are affected by the direct action of electric shocks;
and yet the number of cases in which the contraction of protoplasm
is shown to be affected by this agency increases every day。
Nor can it be affirmed with perfect confidence; that all forms of
protoplasm are liable to undergo that peculiar coagulation at a
temperature of 40…50 degrees centigrade; which has been called
〃heat…stiffening;〃 though Kuhne's '101' beautiful researches have
proved this occurrence to take place in so many and such diverse
living beings; that it is hardly rash to expect that the law holds
good for all。
Enough has; perhaps; been said to prove the existence of a general
uniformity in the chara