The Principles of Biology, Volume 2 (of 2)Spencer, Herbert
Science
The Principles of Biology, Volume 2 (of 2)
Spencer, Herbert
Biology
movements isochronous with those of the like components in the tissue;
which they can do only by uniting into like compound molecules.
Necessarily they must gravitate towards a state of equilibrium; such
state of equilibrium--moving equilibrium of course--must be one in
which they oscillate in the same times with neighbouring molecules;
and so to oscillate they must fall into groups identical with the
groups around them. If this be a general principle of tissue-growth
and repair, we may conclude that it will apply in the case before
us. A wave of molecular disturbance passing along a tract of mingled
colloids closely-allied in composition, and isomerically transforming
the molecules of one of them, will be apt at the same time to form
some new molecules of the same type, at any place where there exist
the proximate components, either uncombined or feebly combined in some
not very different way. And this will be most likely to occur where
the molecules of the colloid that are undergoing the isomeric change,
predominate, but have scattered through them the other molecules out of
which they may be formed, either by composition or modification. That
is to say, a wave of molecular disturbance diffused from a centre, and
travelling furthest along a line where lie most molecules that can be
isomerically transformed with facility, will be likely at the same time
to further differentiate this line, and make it more characterized than
before by the easy-transformability of its molecules. One additional
step, and the interpretation is reached. Analogy shows it to be not
improbable that these organic colloids, isomerically transformed by
slight molecular impact or increase of molecular motion, will some of
them resume their previous molecular structures after the disturbance
has passed. We know that what are stable molecular arrangements under
one degree of molecular agitation, are not stable under another degree;
and there is evidence that re-arrangements of an inconspicuous kind
are occasionally brought about by very slight changes of molecular
agitation. Water supplies a clear case. Prof. Graham infers that water
undergoes a molecular re-arrangement at about 32°--that ice has a
colloid form as well as a crystalloid form, dependent on temperature.
Send through it an extra wave of the molecular agitation we call heat,
and its molecules aggregate in one way. Let the wave die away, and its
molecules resume their previous mode of aggregation. And obviously
such transformations may be repeated backwards and forwards within
narrow limits of temperature. Now among the extremely unstable organic
colloids, such a phenomenon is far more likely to happen. Suppose,
then, that the nerve-colloid is one of which the molecules are changed
in form by a passing wave of extra agitation, but resume their previous
form when the wave has passed: the previous form being the most stable
under the conditions which then recur. What follows? It follows that
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