Part 4

“The individual development,” he says, “in man and the other animals, commences with the formation of a simple ‘stem-cell,’ of this character, and this then passes by repeated segmentation (or cleavage) into a cluster of cells, known as ‘the segmentation sphere,’ or ‘segmentation cell.’” (Haeckel, Ev. Man, p. 54.)

On another page (56) he says:

“Hence the essential point in the process of sexual reproduction or impregnation is the formation of a new cell, the stem-cell, by the combination of two originally different cells, the female ovum and the male spermatozoön. The process is of the highest importance and merits our closest attention. All that happens in the later development of this first cell, and in the life of the organism that comes of it, is determined from the first by the chemical and morphological composition of the stem-cell, its nucleus and its body.” (Ev. Man, p. 56.)

“Hertwig,” he continues, “puts his theory of conception thus:

‘Conception consists in the copulation of two cell-nuclei, which comes from a male and a female cell.…’

“As the phenomenon of heredity is inseparably connected with the reproductive process we may further conclude that these two copulating nuclei convey the characteristics which are transmitted from parents to offspring.” (Ev. of Man, p. 56.)

“As, moreover, there is a complete coälescence (fusion) of the mutually attracted nuclear substances in conception, and the new nucleus formed (the stem nucleus) is the real starting point for the development of the fresh organism, the further conclusion may be drawn that the male nucleus conveys to the child the qualities of the father, and the female nucleus the features of the mother.

“We must not forget, however, that the protoplastic bodies of the copulating cells also fuse together in the act of impregnation; the cell-body of the invading spermatozoön (the trunk and tail of the ciliated cell) is dissolved in the yelk of the female ovum. This coälescence is not so important as that of the [two] nuclei, but it must not be overlooked; and though the process is not so well known to us, we see clearly at least the formation of the star-like figure, (the radial arrangement of the particles in the plasma) in it.” (Haeckel, Ev. Man, p. 56.)

In another place (p. 57) he says:

“It has been shown that the tiny sperm-cell (spermatozoön) is not subordinated to but co-ordinated with, the large ovum. The nuclei of the two cells, as the vehicle of the hereditary features of the parents, are of equal physiological importance. In some cases we have succeeded in proving that the mass of the active nuclear substance, which combines in the copulation of the two sexual nuclei is originally the same for both.

“These morphological facts are in perfect harmony with the familiar physiological truth that the child inherits from both parents; and that on the average they are equally distributed. I say ‘on the average’ because it is well known that a child may have a greater likeness to the father, or to the mother; that goes without saying, as far as the primary sexual characters (the sexual glands) are concerned. But it is also possible that the determination of the latter--the weighty determination whether the child is to be a boy or a girl--depends on a slight qualitative or quantitative difference in nuclein or the colored nuclear matter which comes from both parents in the act of conception.” (Ev. Man, p. 57.)

Haeckel continues, (p. 57):

“Quite in harmony with this new conception of the equivalence of the two gonads (ovum and spermatozoön) on the equal physiological importance of the male and female sex-cells and their equal share in the process of heredity, is the important fact established by Hertwig that in normal impregnation only one single spermatozoön copulates with one ovum; the membrane which is raised on the surface of the yelk immediately after one sperm-cell has penetrated, prevents any others from entering. All the rivals of the fortunate penetrator die without.” (Ev. Man, pp. 57-58.)

Sec. 17. Germ-Cell Does Not Contain Any Skeleton, Model nor Performed Outline of the Coming Embryo

At this point it should be noted that the stem-cell does not contain any skeleton, model nor other preformed outline of the coming embryo for the following reasons: (1) neither the ovum nor the spermatozoön contains any such skeleton, model nor outline; and if each of them contain such a thing, both would be destroyed when these primary cells fuse and merge into the germ-cell. (2) The germ-cell first divides into two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and sixty-four daughter-cells, and so on into the millions; and this segmentation of the stem-cell and daughter-cells would surely annihilate any skeleton, model or other outline that might exist in the germ-cell; (3) the germ-cell first divides into two daughter-cells and so on, to infinity, as already stated; and these daughter-cells form what are called “germ-layers” or sheets of cells from which the human body and all of its organs and parts are built up. (Haeckel, Ev. Man, pp. 14, 16, 59, 92; Encyc. Brit., (9th ed.) 3, p. 682; 8, pp. 165, 744; 24, p. 631; Cent. Dic. 3, p. 2500, “Germ-layer.”)

This mode of growth, by the segmentation of cells and formation of germ-layers, is called “epigenesis” which Huxley defines as “the successive differentiation of a relatively homogeneous rudiment, into the parts and structures, which characterize the adult.” (Encyc. Brit. 8, p. 744. Cent. Dic. 3, p. 1968, “Epigenesis.”)

According to the theory of _epigenesis_, which is now held by all the scientific world, the human body grows anew from the germ-cell, without any skeleton model or any other kind of preformation.

“Every living thing,” says Huxley, “is evolved from a particle of matter, in which no trace of the distinctive characters of the adult form of that living thing is discernible. This particle is termed a _germ_.” (Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p. 746.)

He defines a germ as “matter potentially alive, and having, within itself, the tendency to assume a definite living form;” and says that this definition “appears to meet all the requirements of modern science.” (Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p. 746.)

“In all cases,” he says, “the process of evolution [growth] consists in a succession of changes of the form, structure and functions of the germ [fertilized ovum], by which it passes, step by step, from an extreme simplicity, or relative homogeneity, of visible structure to a greater or less degree of complexity or heterogeneity; and the course of progressive differentiation is usually accompanied by growth, which is effected by intussusception.” (Encyc. Brit. 8, p. 746.)

Huxley is surely mistaken in saying that “the process of evolution [development and growth] consists in a succession of changes in the form, structure and functions of the germ,” for the germ (fertilized ovum) immediately divides into two daughter-cells, these into four, these into eight, sixteen and so on to infinity. Thus, it appears that germ (germ-cell) becomes “a drop in the sea,” its identity being wholly lost. Huxley states this fact, in substance, in the quotation below.

“The substance,” he says, “by the addition of which the germ is enlarged is in no case, simply absorbed ready-made form the not-living world, and packed between the elementary constituents of the germ.… The new material is, in a great measure, not only absorbed but assimilated, so that it become part and parcel of the molecular structure of the living body into which it enters. And so far from the fully developed organism’s being simply the germ plus the nutriment which it has absorbed, it is probable that the adult contains neither in form, nor in substance, more than an inappreciable fraction of the constituents of the germ; and that it is almost wholly made up of assimilated and metamorphosed nutriment. In the great majority of cases, at any rate, the full grown organism becomes what it is by the absorption of not-living matter, and its conversion into living matter of a specific type.” (Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p. 746.)

The substance of these quotations is that the germ (fertilized ovum) has, within itself, a tendency to assume the form of a man or woman. But, as above remarked, this is not true. On the contrary the “germ” divides into two daughter-cells, and these continue to divide until millions of them are produced. These daughter-cells are so distributed, combined, differentiated, grouped and arranged as to produce the embryo body with all its organs and parts. According to Huxley and other materialists the “germ” and its daughter-cells do all this work spontaneously without the aid or guidance of any extraneous psychic or creative force. Is this possible?

Sec. 18. Germ-Cell Has No Inherent Power to Evolve, Spontaneously and Automatically, the Body and Organs of the Embryo

The germ-cell (fertilized ovum) has no brain, no eyes, ears, nose, touch, nor taste--no brain nor sense-organs--no organs whatever. It has no knowledge of chemical elements; nor of their affinities; nor of their combinations. It has no knowledge of mechanical arrangement; no knowledge of the human body nor of its organs and parts; nor of their chemical constituents; nor of their mechanical arrangement. It has no idea of time nor space; nor of the adaption of a means to an end; nor of a contrivance.

The germ-cell has no memory of any of these things, for it is impossible for any being to remember a thing that it never knew. This would be a contradiction of terms--an absurdity. I know that Haeckel and other writers speak of “unconscious memory,” “organic memory,” etc. But these are vagaries of the evolutionist and materialist, having no foundation in fact.

So far as our experience goes, there is no such thing as intellect nor memory without and apart from a living physical body. Before there can be intellect or memory, there must be such body to serve as its dwelling place. It is absurd to suppose that the spermatozoön, the ovum or the fertilized ovum has intellect or memory. But even if any of the three has either of these faculties, it would be preposterous to suppose that the spermatozoön, ovum or fertilized ovum, remembers anything that happened before the atoms, of which it is composed, were grouped together as such. In other words, we cannot even imagine that any living being remembers anything that happened before it came into existence as such being. It is too clear for argument that no parent ever transmits to his or her child the memory of any thing that he or she ever saw, heard, felt or knew. Every man knows that he has no memory of anything that happened to either of his parents. It follows that the memory of each animal is limited to the period of his own existence, as such; and that there is no such thing as “unconscious memory,” or “organic memory,” in the sense in which these terms are used by the evolutionist.

But “unconscious memory,” “organic memory,” etc., if there were any such thing, have no constructive force. I might have a vivid memory of every spring, wheel, and part of a watch and yet have no power to make one. So, an anatomist may know and remember every bone, muscle, artery, vein, nerve and part of the human body; but this knowledge and memory would not enable him to form the chemical combinations and make the mechanical arrangements necessary to construct the human body and impart life to it.

Nor has the germ-cell any will-power to begin and continue the work of building up the embryo body until it is completed. We cannot even imagine that the germ-cell has the semblance of a will in any sense of the term.

To construct the embryo body a sufficient number of atoms of the necessary chemical elements, such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, etc., must be selected, assembled at the proper places and there combined, in certain proportions, to form the required chemical combinations; next these combinations must be grouped and mechanically arranged in such a manner as to form the embryo body, with all its organs and parts in their proper places.

Can the germ-cell, and the millions of daughter-cells arising from it, do this miraculous work, automatically, without the aid and guidance of the Creator?

Let us imagine that Edison or some other scientific man should build a tank large enough to hold a brick house with six rooms; that he put into the tank a “magic brick,” composed of silica, aluminum, iron, lime, magnesia, manganese, soda and potash combined in the proper proportions, (Encyc. Brit. 4, p. 280); that he turned a stream of water, charged with these elements, upon the brick; that it absorbed these substances from the water and assimilated them into its own body; that it afterward split into two “daughter-bricks,” these two into four, these into eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, one hundred and twenty-eight, and so on to infinity; that these bricks, automatically, assumed such positions on top of each other as to build up the four walls of the house, without the aid of man or any other psychic force; that the bricks left spaces for doors, windows, etc.; that they also built up the chimneys, fire places, etc.; that some of the bricks, spontaneously, metamorphosed themselves into marble slabs for window-sills, door-sills, hearth-stones, etc.; that other bricks were converted into oaken mantels, with mirrors, etc.; that others were converted into slabs of slate and assumed the proper form, size and positions to form a slate roof!

If any such thing should ever happen it would be justly considered a great miracle.

But the development and growth of the embryo are far more mysterious and wonderful than the building of a house in this manner would be; for the embryo is a live miniature model of a man or woman--the work of a supernatural creative force--Almighty God.

Huxley says, in substance, that the germ-cell has “within itself the tendency to assume a definite living form.” He also says “that the great characteristic of the germ is, not so much what is, but what it may, under suitable conditions, become.”--(Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p. 746.)

The common belief of mankind, in general, is that the germ-cell, spontaneously and automatically, develops and grows to be a man or woman, without the aid of any extraneous psychic or creative force.

But it is clear that the germ-cell divides into two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two and sixty-four daughter-cells; and so on to infinity. It follows that the germ-cell is annihilated within a few hours after it is formed; and that its identity, as the germ-cell is wholly lost in the myriads of daughter-cells which arise from it, and go to build up the embryo body; each daughter-cell containing, theoretically, a portion of the germ-cell.

It follows that the germ-cell has no tendency “within itself to assume a definite living form;” nor has it any power to become a living form, nor anything else.

Obviously, the microscopic germ-cell, when whole, would be powerless to develop and grow to be a man or woman; and for a much stronger reason the infinitesimal fragments of it would be powerless to do these things.

Apparently, the Creator uses the germ-cell to inaugurate the growth of daughter-cells in the embryo body, in the same manner that a grain of wheat is used to start the growth of a stalk of wheat.

Sec. 19. Reproduction, its Phenomena

All the phenomena of reproduction may be grouped under the following heads: (1) Production of the spermatozoön, (2) production of the ovum, (3) their fusion into the fertilized ovum, (4) production of daughter-cells, (5) distribution, mechanical arrangement and grouping of cells, (6) differentiation of cells into the different tissues, (7) waste of cells.

Sec. 20. Spermatozoön, its Production

The first step toward the reproduction of a man, woman, or any other mammal, (an individual of a species which suckles its young), is the formation of a spermatozoön in the genital organs of a male. See index, infra, “Spermatozoön.”

Sec. 21. Ovum, its Production

The production of an ovum in the genital organs of a female is the second step. It is immaterial which of them is produced first. The essential point is that they shall meet and fuse into the fertilized ovum.

See Sec. 14, supra; Index, infra, “ovum.”

Sec. 22. Germ-Cell, its Production

The third step is the fusion of the spermatozoön and ovum into the germ-cell, stem-cell or fertilized ovum. See index, infra, “germ-cell,” “stem-cell,” “fertilized ovum.”

Sec. 23. Daughter-Cells, Their Production

The fourth step is the production of daughter-cells. The germ-cell (fertilized ovum) is the primordial cell, from which every other cell in the human body is directly or indirectly, produced by fission or self-division. As already stated, the germ-cell divides into two daughter-cells, these into four, these into eight, sixteen, and so on to infinity. Every cell is composed of a vast number of atoms. A portion of these atoms is differentiated into “the inner nucleus (caryoplasm)” and “the body of the cell (cytoplasm).” (Haeckel, Ev. Man, p. 38.) Again he says: “In a mesh of the nuclear net-work … there is, as a rule, a dark, very opaque, solid body, called the nucleolus.” (Ev. Man, p. 38.) On another page, he says: “Some cells have a ‘nucleolinus’ in the center of the nucleolus.” (Ev. Man, p. 40, fig. 9.)

We cannot believe that any microscopic cell in the human body has intellect, memory, will-power nor creative force. For a stronger reason, we cannot imagine that any of the atoms of which any cell is composed, has these faculties. Nor can we conceive that a portion of these atoms, automatically, metamorphose themselves into a nucleolus, others into a nucleolinus, while the remainder continue to be a simple cell-body.

How do the cells know when the time has come to divide into two daughter-cells; where the dividing line should run in order to divide the cell-body, nucleus and nucleolus into two equal parts? For further discussion of cells see Index, infra, “cell.”

Sec. 24. Animals, Their Sizes are Determined, How?

Why does the elephant grow larger than the mouse. Both are mammals and are built of cells. The mouse has identically the same organs and parts that the elephant has. The mode of reproducing each is the same as that of the other. The spermatozoön, ovum and germ-cell are common to both.

How does it happen that all normal adult individuals of each species of animal in a given region and of each sex, have substantially the same form and size, called: “the mode?”

The reader may reply that nature fixes the size and form of every individual of each species. The evolutionist will say that the law of heredity and environment determine the sizes and forms of animals and plants; that the mouse is small because his ancestors were small; that the elephant is large because his were large.

But these replies do not explain the phenomena. Each animal grows anew, for itself. His body is a new combination of the atoms and cells of which it is composed. The forces and motions employed in its construction are new and peculiar to it. When the cells in an embryo body begin to grow there is no apparent reason why they should not continue to grow and multiply, forever. Now, what psychic force or agency ascertains and determines when the work of building up the animal body has been completed? What force or agency equalizes the growth and waste of cells in a mature animal body and keeps it of the same form, size, and weight until the decay of old age comes on?

The size of every animal depends upon the size and number of cells in his body; and its form is determined by the manner in which these cells are grouped together. For example there are more cells in the nose (trunk) and teeth (tusks) of the elephant, in proportion to the size of his body, than there are in those of the mouse in proportion to his. It is clear that a mouse would grow to be as large as an elephant if the cells in his body continued to grow and multiply for a sufficient period of time. Why do the cells cease to multiply when the mouse has attained a certain size? Why do they stop work in the elephant’s body when he gets his normal growth? Do the cells in the mouse and those in the elephant know when their work is done? How do they know it?

The materialist denies the existence of a First Cause and maintains that every animal and plant is the result of “a natural continuous and necessary evolution.” (Haeckel, Evolution of Man, p. 26.) Huxley says, in effect, that “secondary causes” produce all the phenomena of the physical universe; and that man and the rest of the living world “are all co-ordinated terms in nature’s great progression.” (Man’s Place in Nature, pp. 150-151.)

But it appears that the materialist maintains that the law of heredity is fixed and unchangeable, at all events it is proof against secondary causes. For example, no sort of treatment, nor any kind nor quantity of food will make a mouse grow to the size of an elephant nor any larger than his ancestors were. Food and environment are “secondary causes;” but they have no power to change the form nor the size of the animal body.

Since all normal adult individuals of each species of animals, all over the earth, and in every age, have substantially the same form and size; and since each individual is built up, anew, of new cells (or atoms) by new forces and motions, we are compelled to assume that the same psychic force or agency determines the number of cells which shall go into each normal body, and the manner in which these cells shall be grouped together. In brief, the same supernatural psychic and creative force, always, determines the form and size of each animal, all over the earth.

Sec. 25. Distribution and Grouping of Cells in the Embryo Body

As already stated, every man and woman begins life as a germ-cell or fertilized ovum. This cell grows and divides into two daughter-cells; these into four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and so on. At first these daughter-cells are so distributed and grouped as to form a solid ball called “the morula;” next they take the form of a hollow ball, called “the blastula” with a single layer or sheet of cells and a fluid in the center; next a group of cells with two layers, called “the gastrula;” then they are so distributed or grouped as to form two germ-layers or sheets of cells, then into three layers, then into four. At this point a portion of the cells is so grouped as to begin the formation of the spinal cord and brain; and in course of time, other cells are so distributed and grouped as to form the bones, muscles, nerves, arteries, veins, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines, arms, hands, legs, feet and other organs and parts of the body.

The form of any animal body and each organ and part of such a body, depends upon the manner in which its cells are distributed and grouped. Thus, the form of the whale, elephant, giraffe, camel, lion, tiger, hippopotamus, alligator, python, horse, cow, eagle and humming-bird, is produced by the distribution of the cells or atoms in their bodies. If a man has a very large head, a long nose or big foot we are compelled to infer that these peculiarities are the result of depositing an unusual number of cells (“organic bricks”) in these parts of his body.

Sir Isaac Newton states his first law of motion in the words following:

“Everybody continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, except in so far as it is compelled, by force, to change that state.”--(Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 15, p. 676.)

For example, if one should lay a stone on the ground it would remain there forever, unless moved by some sort of force. It would be absurd to suppose that the stone could, automatically, move itself.