The Principles of Biology, Volume 1 (of 2)Spencer, Herbert
Science
The Principles of Biology, Volume 1 (of 2)
Spencer, Herbert
Biology
are not furnished with an explanation by the hypothesis of gemmules or by
the hypothesis of determinants; for we cannot arbitrarily assume that
wherever a missing organ has to be produced there exists the needful supply
of gemmules or of determinants representing that organ. The hypothesis that
physiological units have everywhere a proclivity towards the organic form
of the species, appears more congruous with the facts; but even this does
not cover the cases in which a new worm grows from a lateral bud. The
tendency to complete the individual structure might be expected rather to
restrain this breaking of the lines of complete structure.
Still less explicable in any way thus far proposed are certain remedial
actions seen in animals. An example of them was furnished in § 67, where
"false joints" were described--joints formed at places where the ends of a
broken bone, failing to unite, remain moveable one upon the other.
According to the character of the habitual motions there results a rudely
formed hinge-joint or a ball-and-socket joint, either having the various
constituent parts--periosteum, fibrous tissue, capsule, ligaments. Now Mr.
Darwin's hypothesis, contemplating only normal structures, fails to account
for this formation of an abnormal structure. Neither can we ascribe this
local development to determinants: there were no appropriate ones in the
germ-plasm, since no such structure was provided for. Nor does the
hypothesis of physiological units, as presented in preceding chapters,
yield an interpretation. These could have no other tendency than to restore
the normal form of the limb, and might be expected to oppose the genesis of
these new parts.
Thus we have to seek, if not another hypothesis, then some such
qualification of an existing hypothesis as will harmonize it with various
exceptional phenomena.
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