The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-07-31
/ STUDY OF SENSATION.
a. observed in tho Lowest Forms
Of Life.

s..os be washed off and the water exam
i-ad under q microscope, it will be
md to TEEN with an organism either
.ntirelv green or partly green and red.
Tg.ss organism is known as the PTOtOcoc-
-. ltbat is, ''first berry''), and is one of
10 lowest and simplest forms of true
sia,t.life. It's color indicates the pres
snea Of chlorophyll, and consequently
tbe mower of assimilating carbon from
she earbonic acid of the atmosphere
nc of the marks of true plant The
.bief end Of the protococcus' life seems
i 81 to multiply, and this it accom-
.1,sbes BY dividing itself in pieces, each
riece forming new individual, which
Il tprn divides up, to form further
cyon This method of reproduction is
common in the low est forms of life, and
4 known as Jission, or splitting of. Lit
Ee can be said about the inner life Of
tbe urotococcus; but from the fact that
tha rauidity with which it multiplies is
sfected by conditions external to itself,
itmav be assumed that these conditions
n some way or other influence the vi
.ality of the organism. This is perhaps
a. much as can be said about sensation
n this lowly form of life; yet while Oc-
rupying position very near the bottom
If the scale, the protococcus is not
without a touch of romance. When
Arctic or Alpine travellers meet with
swhat thew describe as red SHOWS" it is
nothing more nor less than the humble
but hardy protococcus f1ourishing and
multiplying on the surface of the virgin
snow.
From one of the lowest of plants to
one Of the lowest of animals is but a
short step, and in some roadside ditch
or stagnant pool the Am9bG finds
home. The ameba is mUre speok of
ieIly-looking matter, possessing neither
structure nor organization. When this
simple matter is found in connection
With life, whether plant or animal, it Is
known as protoplasm; and protoplasm is
found at the beginning of every form of
life, from the lowest plant to man him
self The ameba is ever changing its
form thence it's name, which means
''change'), and by pushing out finger
looking processes is able to move about
through the water. 1t seems also to be
able in some mysterious way to avoid
collisions which might be disastrous to
itself. When smaller organism comes
against the surface of the amHba, a
contraction of the protoplasm takes
place, and an opening is made where
the organism struck. Soon the luckless
sanderer is engulfed in the body of the
ameba and diges ted, so far as it will
digest to form new protoplasm. When
The Rmoeba, whose sense of hunger
never seems to fail, is waxing too fat
for its own comfort, the protruding
fingers now and again drop off, and set
fng up on their own account as new
Individuals, repeat the life of the par
ent From the foregoing, it will be
seen that the ameba is to consider
able extent alive to what is going OF
around it, and were its structure un
known, it might be affirmed that i
possessed the special senses of at leas
touch and sight. But it does not possess
the ghost of any sense-organ. The con
traction Of the amoeba when struck by
another body resent bles the contraction
ef muscular tissue under sudden irrita
tion; but again, the ameba has M
tissue of any kind. The parting with
pieces of itself would seem to be de
lucrative act. Yet the amoeba has M
nerve or brain center where such delib
eration could be carried on.
Notwithstanding all these negations
the fact still remains that the ameba i
sensitive to outside conditions, anC
some term or terms are required to de
scribe this particular form of sensitive
ness Biologists appear to be agree'
that the contractile motion Of tn
amoba is sufficiently described unde
the term irritability" or ''excitability,
and the other movements are covere,
ey the term discrimination" Thes
terms may to a certain extent be salts
factory; but their value will be bette
Understood when actions similar 20 tina
q the amoeba are considered in one o
i've Of the higher classes of plants
When a tiny insect alights on certai
parts of such plants as the sundew o
venus fy-trap, contractile movemen
asonce set up, which usually cost
ne luckless insect its life. If irritate
alew times by the point of pencil or
saarp Instrument. the plants seem
discover the fraud, and cease to act
from the behavior of these plants
Algnt be surmised that they possess i
aome measure the special senses c
soaeh and taste, and in the case of tn
saaaew, also smell, to say nothing c
e intelligence to make use of thes
sehses But the anatomy of the sur
aeN and Venus fy-trap shows neithe
nerve nor muscle, far less any specis
osgans OF sense. As with the amnb;
olologlsts write down the whole PHI
aonena as due to ''irritability" an
discrimination" These terms, n
soa06 form very convenient bridg
e getting over such problems as th
l0sements of plants; but they evident
ian short of explaining the PIT
ane amoeba being to all intents ont
ssneo animal, it is comparatively cas-
andeEstand that an act of irritatio
LIQUID affect the whole mass; but in th
ss q the sensitive plants, where tn
80 oaFectly acted upon have to pas
~ abatlon on to some millions (
ssAer cells. the ea4is4oo+or;-o,. q ~