Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-06
THE FIRST lSTOMACH
How It Grew From a Single
Cell Creature.
DIVISION OF LABOR
CURIOUS ROMANCE OF THE DE-
vELoPMENT OF LIFE.
Prom Primordia1 Thing to a Nov
ing, Acting, Conscious
Being.


do not understand clearly today despite all
our study, certain single, living cell-beings
appeared in the world.
These creatures, in consisting of only one
cell each. resembled the bacteria, amoebes
and similar 'infusoria" of today in this
characteristic.
Each of these cell-beings carried out all
the undertakings of simple life by itself.
1t moved, multiplied Through primitive
fissure), betrayed certain sensations and
took nourishment.
The methods of this nourishment were
different In one case inorganic, mineral
matter was taken in we see 1T done to-
day among the plants; in the other case,
organic stuffs. already dissolved, were
taken in the shape of other cell beings, as
we see feeding done today among the true
animals. Both methods are to be seen to-
day among the bacteria.
Let us remain with those single-cellS that
already had reached the point of nourishing
themselves as animals" by conquering
other animals and weaker Single-cells and
devouring them.
This process of devouring and the en-
tire process of nutrition in such simple
being proceeded without any organ-entire-
ly without stomach or intestine. Just as no
single-ceil in our stomachs has stomach
of it's own, so did that single-cell of the
dim past lack stomach. 1t surrounded its
food with it's whole jelIylke cellbody, took
ii in whole and digested it whole, something
as drop of water will swallow tiny bit
of red color and become permeated with 1t
till 1t is red through and through. we can
still see this primitive mode of feeding in
living single-cells of our time.
A Primordial Compact.
Then there came the first great advance.
The primordial beings, hitherto strictly SOL
and there and
formed themselves into the very simplest
forms of communities.
Let US assume that about hundred of
such cell-individuals formed clump. Each
of them previously had moved itself for
ward in the water by lengthening it's soft
body into a pointed, thin thread, whose
f1mmering motions whirled the tiny thing
ahead. The newly formed clump Of COM
muniStic cell-creatures also needed such
n tion. So as the cells combine, each pro-
truded its little filament-end freely, and be-
fore long the first mutual act of the Clump
was to achieve certain measure of mo-
ton, by which all the fiaments were swung
in even tempo. Thus at last the whole
clump began to move in a forward direc-
ton.
1t was a simple and natural result of this
mutual act for the clump to acquire the
shape of bladder. Each single-cell had to
remain in touch with the outer world for
it's own preservation. Therefore, all of
them crowded to the surface of the sphere;
the inner portion remained empty and hol-
low, and the bladder or hollow sphere was
created.
A cell-community of this kind, forming a
hollow sphere and moving merrily in the
water through the rhythmic motion of each
single-cell, is not hypothetical thing in
vented for the purpose of illustration. Such
communities live today in fresh as we'll as
salt waters.
The single-cell individual of this little,
fast-moving, social bladder did not cling SO
hard to its outer edge merely for the sake
of motion. The need for nourishment made
it mandatory. Despite the new and close
communion, each cell still fed for itself
Each had to fish for its own nourishment
and digest 1t for itself. If cell had fallen
out Of the outer circle into the inner part
of the sphere it would have died miserably
from hunger.
The Food Problems First Solution.
And now we begin to see how the food
pl oblem reaped the greatest benefit from
this social community.
1t lay not only in the fact that the sphere
could reach new feeding places more quick
ly, propelled as it was by united powers
The chief gain lay in a spontaneous divi-
sion of labor.
Before that. whenever single-cell arch
being obtained choice bit of food, it would
become torpid for while. 1t drew it's fila
ment end in and lay Stlll. In the new
munity, too. whenever single-cell ate 1t
would fall into digestive torpor But now
1t was fast in the mass that moved as a
whole Even If 1t was inactive itself, the
sphere dragged 1t along.
So, even during its digestive sleep 1t
rolled toward new food supply, avoided
dangers-in brief. enjoyed all the adyant-
ages of motion.
In exchange, the torpid single-cell paid
certain tribute to the contiguous cells in
return for their work Through the close
crowding of the soft cell bodies it became
inevitable that some of the digested Juices
from the fed cell should flow into the neigh
boring cells.
Without it's being "willed" by any of
them, there began compulsory co-opera-
ton. If four cells moved another cell
around while 1t was torpid. they got some
of the food absorbed by 1t in return
For time this the most simple of all
forms of mutual labor. took place, now
here. now there. wherever and whenever n
cell happened to seize food But gradually
this co-operat ton became practically newt
able. The bladder or sphere bored its wav
through the water in a straight line-one
pole in front, one pole behind-to meet the
floating food. Now, what happened?
The cells in the forward end of the sphere
obtained the most food.
The First Division of Labor.
So, in this part of the shere there de-
veloped certain number of cells that fed.
digested and became torpid continuously
until at last they did nothing else, ceasing
entirely to furnish motive power to the ball
But to balance this. a constant stream of
juices flowed from these over-fed cells into
the rest Of the sphere The division of
labor into feeding cells and motor cells be-
gan to develop according to rule
So one day there appeared sphere whose
forward pole consisted entirely of feeding
cells pure and simple. while the opposite
end consisted Of motor cells alone.
With this change. the necessity became
even greater that the forward cells should
eat enough to supply all the others. But
their power was limited by their number
and there was noiirooIn for more at the
forward pole. What happened?
Suppose that 1t were desired to crowd an
immense number of persons together on
one of the poles of this earth to catch
something falling from the sky How could
the greatest number be accommodated with
room? az n
Simply by digging deep pit whose bot
tom and sides could be lined with people
This is just what the cells did. First they
formed shallow pit. AT last they formed
concave hollow toward the inner part of
the sphere; that is the sphere collapsed
toward the inward, like a rubber ball from
which the air has been squeezed. It was
a cup wide open in front.
The oIter surface of this eI,p consisted