The Organism as a Whole, from a Physicochemical Viewpoint

The work presents a physicochemical account of living systems, arguing that physico-chemical processes underlie physiological functions and that egg cytoplasm largely determines species identity and organismal unity while chromosomal Mendelian factors contribute individual traits, probably through hormones and enzymes. It surveys species specificity and fertilization, artificial parthenogenesis, embryonic determinism, regeneration, sex determination, instincts and tropisms, environmental influence and adaptation, heredity mechanisms, and the problems of evolution and death. Experimental and theoretical discussions stress specific proteins, enzymes, and physico-chemical reactions as the basis for biological specificity and coordinated development.