The striking differences of the respective sexual cells in size and shape, which occasioned the erroneous views of earlier scientists, are easily explained on the principle of division of labour. The inert, motionless ovum grows in size according to the quantity of provision it stores up in the form of nutritive yelk for the development of the germ. The active swimming sperm-cell is reduced in size in proportion to its need to seek the ovum and bore its way into its yelk. These differences are very conspicuous in the higher animals, but they are much less in the lower animals. In those protists (unicellular plants and animals) which have the first rudiments of sexual reproduction the two copulating cells are at first quite equal. In these cases the act of impregnation is nothing more than a sudden GROWTH, in which the originally simple cell doubles its volume, and is thus prepared for reproduction (cell-division). Afterwards slight differences are seen in the size of the copulating cells; though the smaller ones still have the same shape as the larger ones. It is only when the difference in size is very pronounced that a notable difference in shape is found: the sprightly sperm-cell changes more in shape and the ovum in size. Quite in harmony with this new conception of the EQUIVALENCE OF THE TWO GONADS, or 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 (1875), that in normal impregnation only one single spermatozoon copulates with one ovum; the membrane which is raised on the surface of the yelk immediately after one sperm-cell has penetrated (Figure 1.25 C) prevents any others from entering. All the rivals of the fortunate penetrator are excluded, and die without. But if the ovum passes into a morbid state, if it is made stiff by a lowering of its temperature or stupefied with narcotics (chloroform, morphia, nicotine, etc.), two or more spermatozoa may penetrate into its yelk-body. We then witness polyspermism. The more Hertwig chloroformed the ovum, the more spermatozoa were able to bore their way into its unconscious body. (FIGURE 1.28. Stem-cell of a rabbit, magnified 200 times. In the centre of the granular protoplasm of the fertilised ovum (d) is seen the little, bright stem-nucleus, z is the ovolemma, with a mucous membrane (h). s are dead spermatozoa.)