The Organism as a Whole, from a Physicochemical ViewpointLoeb, Jacques
Science
The Organism as a Whole, from a Physicochemical Viewpoint
Loeb, Jacques
Biology; Life (Biology); Mendel's law
[189] Correns, C., _Biol. Centralbl._, 1916, xxxvi., 12.
_II. The Physiological Basis of Sex Determination_
5. As stated at the beginning of this chapter, the chromosome theory
of sex determination explained only one feature of the problem,
namely, the relative numbers in which both sexes or only one sex, as
the case may be, are produced; and in this respect the evidence is so
complete that we must accept it. But with all this, the problem of
sex determination is not exhausted, since a physiological solution of
the problem of sex determination demands an account of how the sex
chromosomes can induce the formation not only of ovaries and testes
but also of the other sex characters. For the solution of this problem
biology will have to depend largely on experiments in which it is
possible to influence the formation of sex characters and of the sex
glands themselves.
The most striking observations in this direction were made by Baltzer
on a marine worm, _Bonellia_. In this animal the two sexes are very
different, the male being a tiny parasite, a few millimetres in length,
which spends its life in the uterus of the female, whose size is about
five centimetres. A female carries as a rule several and often a large
number of the male parasites in its uterus, which indicates that the
males prevail numerically. The fertilized eggs of the animals are
laid in the sea water where the larvæ hatch. At the time of hatching
all larvæ are alike. The differentiation of the larvæ into the dwarf
males and the giant females can be determined at will. The larvæ have
a tendency to attach themselves to the proboscis of the female as
soon as they hatch. If given a chance to do so and if they stick to
the proboscis for more than three days they will develop into males,
which soon afterwards creep into the female where they continue their
parasitic existence. If, however, no adult female _Bonellia_ is put
into the aquarium in which the larvæ hatch, about ninety per cent. of
the larvæ will, after a period of rest, develop into females; the rest
develop into males. Those which develop into females will often show a
primary maleness which may manifest itself in the production of sperm
or of other secondary male sexual characters. This tendency is stronger
the longer the period of rest lasts. If the larvæ are allowed to
settle on the proboscis of the adult female but are removed too early
hermaphrodites are produced having male and female characters mixed.
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