The Biological Problem of To-day: Preformation Or Epigenesis?: The Basis of a Theory of Organic DevelopmentHertwig, Oscar
Science
The Biological Problem of To-day: Preformation Or Epigenesis?: The Basis of a Theory of Organic Development
Hertwig, Oscar
Developmental biology; Embryology; Genetics
Finally, consider this statement from Goebel's _Treatise on the Morphology
and Physiology of the Leaf_: 'The fact that lateral buds do not develop
while the axial bud is still growing vigorously depends upon the relation
between the two. That I denote as correlation of growth.'
The dependence of parts upon each other, and upon the whole, is specially
clear and instructive in cases where different plant individuals are united
by budding or grafting. To limit the growth of a tree, and to induce it to
become dwarfed, it is necessary only to graft it upon a nearly allied but
dwarf variety. When a pear-tree is grafted upon the quince, which is
characterized by its dwarf-like growth, the vegetative growth of the pear
is reduced exceedingly. It produces shorter and weaker shoots; all the
dwarf varieties of the pear employed as wall fruits, or growing into the
little pyramids spoken of in the trade as 'cordon'-trees and potting-trees,
could not have been produced unless the gardener had had the quince as a
natural dwarf stock (Vöchting). With the dwarfing is associated a freer and
earlier production of fruit. Other kinds of fruit-trees, apples, apricots,
and so forth, show the same course.
'The capacity to withstand external influences and the duration of life may
be altered in the same way. The pistachio (_Pistazia vera_), cultivated in
Frankfort, which is destroyed by a temperature lower than 7.5 degrees of
frost, will survive 12.5 degrees if it has been grafted upon _P.
terebinthus_. Moreover, when it is grown from a seedling, it may reach the
age of 150 years; but when it has been grafted upon _P. terebinthus_ its
length of life is increased to 200 years; while, grafted on _P. lentiscus_,
it reaches only about 40 years' (Vöchting).
Vöchting's experiments upon beetroot are still more characteristic. 'The
stem of a beet plant that bore young buds gave rise to vegetative shoots
when it was united with a young, still growing root, but to a blossoming
stem when it had been grafted, in spring, upon an old root.'
Similarly, animal growth is correlative in all its stages. When a muscle
becomes unusually large it sets up corresponding correlations of growth in
many other parts of the body. The bloodvessels and nerves supplying it
become larger, and the increase in the nerves leads to corresponding
increase in the nerve centres. The tendons of origin and of insertion, and
the parts of the skeleton to which these are attached, must react to the
increased size of the muscle by growing larger; in fact for all the parts
of the animal body the conclusions which Naegeli and other physiologists
drew from plants are applicable. All the different elements of the body are
in definite and intimate touch with each other.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account