The fertilized ovum is variously called, “germ-cell,” “stem-cell,”
“first segmentation sphere,” “parent-cell,” “impregnated ovum,”
“fertilized egg cell,” and other names of like import, all these
phrases meaning the same thing.
Under the head, “Conception,” Haeckel says, among other things:
“The process of fertilization by sexual conception consists, therefore,
essentially, in the coälescence and fusing together of two different
cells. The lively spermatozoön travels toward the ovum by its
serpentine movements and bores its way into the female cell. The
nuclei of both sexual cells attracted by a certain affinity approach
each other and melt into one.”--(Haeckel, Ev. Man, p. 53.)
How do they acquire this “affinity?” How do they know each other? Have
they intellect, memory and will? Are they not driven toward each other
by a supernatural, psychic force?
Continuing he says:
“The fertilized cell is quite another thing from the unfertilized cell.
For if we must regard the spermia [spermatozoä] as real cells, no less
than the ova, and the process of conception as the coälescence of the
two we must consider the resultant cell as a quite new and independent
organism. It bears in the cell and nuclear matter of the penetrating
spermatozoön a part of the father’s body, and in the protoplasm of the
ovum a part of the mother’s body. This is clear from the fact that the
child inherits many features from both parents. It inherits from the
father by means of the spermatozoön and from the mother by means of
the ovum. The actual blending of the two cells produces a third cell,
which is the germ of the child, or new organism conceived. One may
also say of this sexual coälescence that _the stem cell is a simple
hermaphrodite_, it unites both sexual substances in itself.” (Ev. Man,
pp. 53-54.)
“The individual development,” he says, “in man and the other animals,
commences with the formation of a simple ‘stem-cell,’ of this
character, and this then passes by repeated segmentation (or cleavage)
into a cluster of cells, known as ‘the segmentation sphere,’ or
‘segmentation cell.’” (Haeckel, Ev. Man, p. 54.)
On another page (56) he says:
“Hence the essential point in the process of sexual reproduction or
impregnation is the formation of a new cell, the stem-cell, by the
combination of two originally different cells, the female ovum and the
male spermatozoön. The process is of the highest importance and merits
our closest attention. All that happens in the later development of
this first cell, and in the life of the organism that comes of it, is
determined from the first by the chemical and morphological composition
of the stem-cell, its nucleus and its body.” (Ev. Man, p. 56.)
“Hertwig,” he continues, “puts his theory of conception thus:
‘Conception consists in the copulation of two cell-nuclei, which comes
from a male and a female cell.…’
“As the phenomenon of heredity is inseparably connected with the
reproductive process we may further conclude that these two copulating
nuclei convey the characteristics which are transmitted from parents to
offspring.” (Ev. of Man, p. 56.)
“As, moreover, there is a complete coälescence (fusion) of the mutually
attracted nuclear substances in conception, and the new nucleus formed
(the stem nucleus) is the real starting point for the development of
the fresh organism, the further conclusion may be drawn that the male
nucleus conveys to the child the qualities of the father, and the
female nucleus the features of the mother.
“We must not forget, however, that the protoplastic bodies of the
copulating cells also fuse together in the act of impregnation; the
cell-body of the invading spermatozoön (the trunk and tail of the
ciliated cell) is dissolved in the yelk of the female ovum. This
coälescence is not so important as that of the [two] nuclei, but it
must not be overlooked; and though the process is not so well known to
us, we see clearly at least the formation of the star-like figure, (the
radial arrangement of the particles in the plasma) in it.” (Haeckel,
Ev. Man, p. 56.)
In another place (p. 57) he says:
“It has been shown that the tiny sperm-cell (spermatozoön) is not
subordinated to but co-ordinated with, the large ovum. The nuclei
of the two cells, as the vehicle of the hereditary features of the
parents, are of equal physiological importance. In some cases we have
succeeded in proving that the mass of the active nuclear substance,
which combines in the copulation of the two sexual nuclei is originally
the same for both.
“These morphological facts are in perfect harmony with the familiar
physiological truth that the child inherits from both parents; and that
on the average they are equally distributed. I say ‘on the average’
because it is well known that a child may have a greater likeness to
the father, or to the mother; that goes without saying, as far as the
primary sexual characters (the sexual glands) are concerned. But it
is also possible that the determination of the latter--the weighty
determination whether the child is to be a boy or a girl--depends on
a slight qualitative or quantitative difference in nuclein or the
colored nuclear matter which comes from both parents in the act of
conception.” (Ev. Man, p. 57.)
Haeckel continues, (p. 57):
“Quite in harmony with this new conception of the equivalence of
the two gonads (ovum and spermatozoön) on the equal physiological
importance of the male and female sex-cells and their equal share in
the process of heredity, is the important fact established by Hertwig
that in normal impregnation only one single spermatozoön copulates
with one ovum; the membrane which is raised on the surface of the yelk
immediately after one sperm-cell has penetrated, prevents any others
from entering. All the rivals of the fortunate penetrator die without.”
(Ev. Man, pp. 57-58.)
Sec. 17. Germ-Cell Does Not Contain Any Skeleton, Model nor Performed
Outline of the Coming Embryo
At this point it should be noted that the stem-cell does not contain
any skeleton, model nor other preformed outline of the coming embryo
for the following reasons: (1) neither the ovum nor the spermatozoön
contains any such skeleton, model nor outline; and if each of them
contain such a thing, both would be destroyed when these primary cells
fuse and merge into the germ-cell. (2) The germ-cell first divides into
two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and sixty-four daughter-cells,
and so on into the millions; and this segmentation of the stem-cell and
daughter-cells would surely annihilate any skeleton, model or other
outline that might exist in the germ-cell; (3) the germ-cell first
divides into two daughter-cells and so on, to infinity, as already
stated; and these daughter-cells form what are called “germ-layers”
or sheets of cells from which the human body and all of its organs
and parts are built up. (Haeckel, Ev. Man, pp. 14, 16, 59, 92; Encyc.
Brit., (9th ed.) 3, p. 682; 8, pp. 165, 744; 24, p. 631; Cent. Dic. 3,
p. 2500, “Germ-layer.”)
This mode of growth, by the segmentation of cells and formation of
germ-layers, is called “epigenesis” which Huxley defines as “the
successive differentiation of a relatively homogeneous rudiment, into
the parts and structures, which characterize the adult.” (Encyc. Brit.
8, p. 744. Cent. Dic. 3, p. 1968, “Epigenesis.”)
According to the theory of _epigenesis_, which is now held by all the
scientific world, the human body grows anew from the germ-cell, without
any skeleton model or any other kind of preformation.
“Every living thing,” says Huxley, “is evolved from a particle of
matter, in which no trace of the distinctive characters of the adult
form of that living thing is discernible. This particle is termed a
_germ_.” (Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p. 746.)
He defines a germ as “matter potentially alive, and having, within
itself, the tendency to assume a definite living form;” and says that
this definition “appears to meet all the requirements of modern
science.” (Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p. 746.)
“In all cases,” he says, “the process of evolution [growth] consists
in a succession of changes of the form, structure and functions of
the germ [fertilized ovum], by which it passes, step by step, from an
extreme simplicity, or relative homogeneity, of visible structure to a
greater or less degree of complexity or heterogeneity; and the course
of progressive differentiation is usually accompanied by growth, which
is effected by intussusception.” (Encyc. Brit. 8, p. 746.)
Huxley is surely mistaken in saying that “the process of evolution
[development and growth] consists in a succession of changes in the
form, structure and functions of the germ,” for the germ (fertilized
ovum) immediately divides into two daughter-cells, these into four,
these into eight, sixteen and so on to infinity. Thus, it appears that
germ (germ-cell) becomes “a drop in the sea,” its identity being wholly
lost. Huxley states this fact, in substance, in the quotation below.
“The substance,” he says, “by the addition of which the germ is
enlarged is in no case, simply absorbed ready-made form the not-living
world, and packed between the elementary constituents of the germ.… The
new material is, in a great measure, not only absorbed but assimilated,
so that it become part and parcel of the molecular structure of the
living body into which it enters. And so far from the fully developed
organism’s being simply the germ plus the nutriment which it has
absorbed, it is probable that the adult contains neither in form, nor
in substance, more than an inappreciable fraction of the constituents
of the germ; and that it is almost wholly made up of assimilated
and metamorphosed nutriment. In the great majority of cases, at any
rate, the full grown organism becomes what it is by the absorption of
not-living matter, and its conversion into living matter of a specific
type.” (Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p. 746.)
The substance of these quotations is that the germ (fertilized ovum)
has, within itself, a tendency to assume the form of a man or woman.
But, as above remarked, this is not true. On the contrary the “germ”
divides into two daughter-cells, and these continue to divide until
millions of them are produced. These daughter-cells are so distributed,
combined, differentiated, grouped and arranged as to produce the
embryo body with all its organs and parts. According to Huxley and
other materialists the “germ” and its daughter-cells do all this work
spontaneously without the aid or guidance of any extraneous psychic or
creative force. Is this possible?
Sec. 18. Germ-Cell Has No Inherent Power to Evolve, Spontaneously and
Automatically, the Body and Organs of the Embryo
The germ-cell (fertilized ovum) has no brain, no eyes, ears, nose,
touch, nor taste--no brain nor sense-organs--no organs whatever. It
has no knowledge of chemical elements; nor of their affinities; nor of
their combinations. It has no knowledge of mechanical arrangement; no
knowledge of the human body nor of its organs and parts; nor of their
chemical constituents; nor of their mechanical arrangement. It has no
idea of time nor space; nor of the adaption of a means to an end; nor
of a contrivance.
The germ-cell has no memory of any of these things, for it is
impossible for any being to remember a thing that it never knew. This
would be a contradiction of terms--an absurdity. I know that Haeckel
and other writers speak of “unconscious memory,” “organic memory,” etc.
But these are vagaries of the evolutionist and materialist, having no
foundation in fact.
So far as our experience goes, there is no such thing as intellect nor
memory without and apart from a living physical body. Before there
can be intellect or memory, there must be such body to serve as its
dwelling place. It is absurd to suppose that the spermatozoön, the
ovum or the fertilized ovum has intellect or memory. But even if any
of the three has either of these faculties, it would be preposterous
to suppose that the spermatozoön, ovum or fertilized ovum, remembers
anything that happened before the atoms, of which it is composed, were
grouped together as such. In other words, we cannot even imagine that
any living being remembers anything that happened before it came into
existence as such being. It is too clear for argument that no parent
ever transmits to his or her child the memory of any thing that he
or she ever saw, heard, felt or knew. Every man knows that he has no
memory of anything that happened to either of his parents. It follows
that the memory of each animal is limited to the period of his own
existence, as such; and that there is no such thing as “unconscious
memory,” or “organic memory,” in the sense in which these terms are
used by the evolutionist.
But “unconscious memory,” “organic memory,” etc., if there were any
such thing, have no constructive force. I might have a vivid memory
of every spring, wheel, and part of a watch and yet have no power to
make one. So, an anatomist may know and remember every bone, muscle,
artery, vein, nerve and part of the human body; but this knowledge and
memory would not enable him to form the chemical combinations and make
the mechanical arrangements necessary to construct the human body and
impart life to it.
Nor has the germ-cell any will-power to begin and continue the work
of building up the embryo body until it is completed. We cannot even
imagine that the germ-cell has the semblance of a will in any sense of
the term.
To construct the embryo body a sufficient number of atoms of the
necessary chemical elements, such as carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,
oxygen, etc., must be selected, assembled at the proper places and
there combined, in certain proportions, to form the required chemical
combinations; next these combinations must be grouped and mechanically
arranged in such a manner as to form the embryo body, with all its
organs and parts in their proper places.
Can the germ-cell, and the millions of daughter-cells arising from it,
do this miraculous work, automatically, without the aid and guidance of
the Creator?
Let us imagine that Edison or some other scientific man should build
a tank large enough to hold a brick house with six rooms; that he put
into the tank a “magic brick,” composed of silica, aluminum, iron,
lime, magnesia, manganese, soda and potash combined in the proper
proportions, (Encyc. Brit. 4, p. 280); that he turned a stream of
water, charged with these elements, upon the brick; that it absorbed
these substances from the water and assimilated them into its own
body; that it afterward split into two “daughter-bricks,” these two
into four, these into eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, one
hundred and twenty-eight, and so on to infinity; that these bricks,
automatically, assumed such positions on top of each other as to build
up the four walls of the house, without the aid of man or any other
psychic force; that the bricks left spaces for doors, windows, etc.;
that they also built up the chimneys, fire places, etc.; that some of
the bricks, spontaneously, metamorphosed themselves into marble slabs
for window-sills, door-sills, hearth-stones, etc.; that other bricks
were converted into oaken mantels, with mirrors, etc.; that others were
converted into slabs of slate and assumed the proper form, size and
positions to form a slate roof!
If any such thing should ever happen it would be justly considered a
great miracle.
But the development and growth of the embryo are far more mysterious
and wonderful than the building of a house in this manner would be; for
the embryo is a live miniature model of a man or woman--the work of a
supernatural creative force--Almighty God.
Huxley says, in substance, that the germ-cell has “within itself the
tendency to assume a definite living form.” He also says “that the
great characteristic of the germ is, not so much what is, but what it
may, under suitable conditions, become.”--(Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 8, p.
746.)
The common belief of mankind, in general, is that the germ-cell,
spontaneously and automatically, develops and grows to be a man or
woman, without the aid of any extraneous psychic or creative force.
But it is clear that the germ-cell divides into two, four, eight,
sixteen, thirty-two and sixty-four daughter-cells; and so on to
infinity. It follows that the germ-cell is annihilated within a few
hours after it is formed; and that its identity, as the germ-cell is
wholly lost in the myriads of daughter-cells which arise from it,
and go to build up the embryo body; each daughter-cell containing,
theoretically, a portion of the germ-cell.
It follows that the germ-cell has no tendency “within itself to assume
a definite living form;” nor has it any power to become a living form,
nor anything else.
Obviously, the microscopic germ-cell, when whole, would be powerless to
develop and grow to be a man or woman; and for a much stronger reason
the infinitesimal fragments of it would be powerless to do these things.
Apparently, the Creator uses the germ-cell to inaugurate the growth of
daughter-cells in the embryo body, in the same manner that a grain of
wheat is used to start the growth of a stalk of wheat.