San Andreas independent., 1857-12-26

IHE lNFUSORIA, OR THE MINuTEsT
FORMS OF LIFE.-Prof Ehrenberg, of
Germany, was the first who called special
attention to these, the lowest forms of ami
NAL life, and they are interesting, as being
the simplest forms of matter in which life
is seen to exist. Nearly all of them are
microscopic, some are so small that it would
take billions of them to make one cubic
inch, and yet the minutest of Gods crea-
lures are as perfect in their sphere as his
highest creation, man Let us describe
the general appearance and habits of these
wonderful little beings as they have been
made out by the labors of many a patient
microscopic. They are all sorts of shapes,
some square, some oblong, some round and
are formed of colorless, transparent Jelly
like matter, provided all over their bodies
with myriads of small arms or hair-like
projections, which are called ct1i'n, and it
is by moving these that they are enabled
to propel themselves through the water,
or up and down at will 1t is an inter-
esting and profitable sight to see within
the limits of few drops of water, num-
bers of these animalcule, moving their
ella with rapidity the eye can scarcely
trace, and to find them swimming first in
this direction, then in that, wherever there
is food, and at the same time demonstrate
ing that they possess a will as strong in
proportion, if not stronger, than our own
Indeed, there is no giving up with them,
for we have seen two rush at the same bit
of matter, and instead of either giving it
up, the largest would absorb the smaller
and the food as well, and then 90 on
swimming away as if nothing had hap
pen 1t must be explained that they
have no mouth, or indeed any special or
gans, but when they come in contact with
any substance suitable for their food, they
instantly, as it were, wrap themselves
around it and it becomes absorbed by the
general mass of their bodies. Their anat.
omy Is simple, being nothing more than a
number of little transparent cells collect
ed around central nucleus, and having
a number of ella on the outside. Among
these cells is discovered what may be con
sidered to be the first index of circula
tory system, as there is motion of the
fluid which seemingly cements them to-
gether. There are also indications of a
respiratory system, which is on the out
side or skin, it being only the outside OF
their jelly y-bodies Touch seems the only
sense which they have, and in this respect
they are only equal to many plants, and
many of them are only to be distinguished
from the lower species of vegetable life
by their possessing the power of free To-
comotion, or being able to move from place
to place at will, while others are gifted
with some slight instinct, for they have
a harder back and characteristic shape,
and a few that have not hard backs nat
urally, make them for themselves of fine
sand. They multiply and propagate in a
very simple way; there are no sexes, but
when fresh one is wanted, some old or
middle aged infusorial gentleman or indi-
vidual stops its ella moment and splits
itself in two, when instantly each turns
out on its own account to seek its hourly
food, and is to all intents and purposes a
pefect infusorian. Notwithstanding that
these are such mites of beings, physiolo-
gists have given them quite dignity in
our eyes, from the long names by which
their genera and species are known, as
for example Paramoecium kol lpoda, !"
" Stylonychia mytilus," " and others. Who
would think that animals with such fine
names were not visible to the nsked eye,
and could only be observed by the aid of
a powerful microscope? They belong to
the group of the animal creation called
/" Potozoa," or the first forms of life, and
are an interesting, wonderful and beauti-
full portion of that class of created things
that we call living beings.-Scient.fc
american