Evening star., 1938-10-24
BIOLOGIST BARES
new CELL THEORY
Wa||- Building Process Found
lin Human Body, Academy
Z Is Told.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Star Stan Correspondent.

z CHAPEL HILL, N. c.. Oct. a.
Finding Of an hitherto unknown brick
making and wall-building process in
3he body, probably fundamental to all
xfowth, was announced before the
National Academy Of Sciences. meet
ing here today, by DR.. H. v. Wilson.
professor Of biology at the University
of North Carolina.
Every living thing from plant to
man Is q vast assemblage of micro
'scopically minute cells of various
shapes and sizes. Every organism
starts rs single cell-egg or seed
which increases in size and splits in
two, the halves remaining contiguous
to each other This splitting is re-
peated countless millions Of times
throughout life and the resulting null
tiplication Of cells constitutes the
growth OF the individual.
Each cell consists of tiny central
body, the nucleus. which contains all
its hereditary potentialities and is
surrounded by liquidlike cytoplasm.
When the process of division starts
the nucleus splits first Only after
this is completed does the entire cell
split. each half taking its own supply
Of nuclear material.
Agreed on Theory.
Hitherto biologists have generally
agreed that the splitting was accom-
plished by a process Of construction. the
outer layer of a cell which constitutes
a sort of tough membrane contracting
around the center until 1t cuts through.
DR.. Wilson's observations now show
that that division process takes place
within the interior of the cell rather
than on the outside, and that building
"bricks" are formed within the cyto-
plasm which pile together making the
new wall. He also showed that nature
builds on the row house principle, two
contiguous cells sharing single wall
Within the cytoplasm of every cell,
he explained, there are tiny cavities,
the so-called vacuoles, visible under
powerful microscope. Within each
vacloue is tiny amount OF nuid.
Hitherto the function of the vacuoles,
which look like sloppy work on the
part of Nature, has been unknown.
His observations show, Prof. wilson
told the National Academy, that when
the size of the cell nears the d1vl-
sion point one wall OF various vacuoles
located near the center thickens, FORM
ing a bit Of condensed protoplasm.
Then all these pieces by some as yet
unknown mechanism coalesce to form
wall. Hardly any actual cell-splitting,
In the general understanding OF the
phrase, takes place. The process might
be pictured as a partition built across
the center of a room after the room
has expanded to twice its original size.
Moreover, it is wall built by the bricks
themselves which seem to drop into
place without any visible guiding
mechanism. The bits of condensed
protoplasm, DR.. Wilson said. are Of
various sizes, depending on the sizes
of the original vacuoles.
In the past there has been good
deal OF support for the construction
wall theory derived from observations
Of electric currents across the surface
of a cell. The explanation has been
that these currents were carrying ma
terial to thicken the surface layer
around the central plane and provide
substance for the new wall. These
currents undoubtedly exist, Prof. Will
son said, but their significance IS un-
known. They may even have some-
thing to do with the thickening and
detachment of the vacuole fragments
which must get their material from
somewhere. Vacuoles removed from
the central plane apparently are left
behind or pass into the new cell un-
changed.
Believes Finding Is Fundamental
The new finding. Prof. Wilson be-
lieves, is Of something very funda-
mental in the mechanism OF life,
which makes possible the growth of
multi-cellular bodies such as are pos
sessed by all higher organisms. Ma
tures hitting upon the row house"
architectural device may have consti-
tuted one of the great turning points
IN the evolution OF living things on
earth.
It is generally supposed, although
not provable, biologists of the National
Academy explained, that the earliest
forms of life were single-celled. rough
ly comparable to the bacteria and
protozoa of today, although by no
means so complexly organized. The
only way of reproduction was for
such an organism to split completely
in two. each half constituting
separate animal and thereafter lead
ing an entirely independent existence.
1t had to be entirely sufficient unto
itself. Only when it became possible
for vast numbers of these animals"
to stick together, various groups under