As already stated, every man and woman begins life as a germ-cell or
fertilized ovum. This cell grows and divides into two daughter-cells;
these into four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, and so on. At first these
daughter-cells are so distributed and grouped as to form a solid ball
called “the morula;” next they take the form of a hollow ball, called
“the blastula” with a single layer or sheet of cells and a fluid in the
center; next a group of cells with two layers, called “the gastrula;”
then they are so distributed or grouped as to form two germ-layers
or sheets of cells, then into three layers, then into four. At this
point a portion of the cells is so grouped as to begin the formation
of the spinal cord and brain; and in course of time, other cells are
so distributed and grouped as to form the bones, muscles, nerves,
arteries, veins, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines,
arms, hands, legs, feet and other organs and parts of the body.
The form of any animal body and each organ and part of such a body,
depends upon the manner in which its cells are distributed and
grouped. Thus, the form of the whale, elephant, giraffe, camel,
lion, tiger, hippopotamus, alligator, python, horse, cow, eagle and
humming-bird, is produced by the distribution of the cells or atoms in
their bodies. If a man has a very large head, a long nose or big foot
we are compelled to infer that these peculiarities are the result of
depositing an unusual number of cells (“organic bricks”) in these parts
of his body.
Sir Isaac Newton states his first law of motion in the words following:
“Everybody continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a
straight line, except in so far as it is compelled, by force, to change
that state.”--(Encyc. Brit. (9 ed.) 15, p. 676.)
For example, if one should lay a stone on the ground it would remain
there forever, unless moved by some sort of force. It would be absurd
to suppose that the stone could, automatically, move itself.
There is no such thing as making _any thing_ out of _nothing_. Every
thing is made of some other thing. The body of the horse is made of
corn, hay and other vegetable and mineral substances. So the human
body is made of bread, meat and other food-stuffs, eaten by the mother
before birth and by the individual, himself, after birth. The germ-cell
is deposited in the womb of its mother. It cannot develop nor grow,
unless it receive nourishment from her body. She eats bread, meat and
other things, these are converted into blood, and a portion of it is
carried, by the force of her heart and arteries, to the germ-cell; it
absorbs and assimilates a portion of the blood; produces cells; and
these are so distributed and grouped as to form the embryo body with
all its organs and parts.
It is obvious that the father has nothing to do with the circulation
of the mother’s blood, which conveys nourishment to the embryo; it is
equally clear that she has no conscious part in the circulation of her
own blood, and that she has no power nor control over the development
nor the growth of the embryo, except such as she may exert indirectly
by the food which she eats.
The embryo begins life as a germ-cell. Atoms of building material must
be conveyed, by the blood of the mother, to this cell, otherwise,
it cannot develop nor grow. As new cells are produced, they are so
distributed and grouped as to form the several organs and parts of the
embryo body; or it may be said that new cells are produced and added to
older cells, at such points as to build up the embryo organs and parts.
For example, arm-buds and leg-buds appear on the surface of the trunk,
as slight swellings or projections; new cells are added to these buds;
they grow, in length, by the addition of cells at the distal (outer)
ends, until they have attained the proper length, terminating in the
fingers and toes. So the arms and legs grow to some extent in diameter
by the addition of new cells; but the number of cells, which go to
extend the length of the arms and legs, greatly exceeds the number
which go to increase the diameter.
Every atom in a cell is a physical body, like a brick, and must be
moved by extraneous force, having no power to lift and move itself,
automatically. It may be said that the heart and arteries of the
mother furnish the energy, which moves the atoms to the building site
of the cells, in the first instance. But the atoms are not only moved;
they are carried at the proper time and deposited at the right place
to build up the organ or part which is being constructed. We cannot
believe that the mother has any knowledge of, nor power over, the
distribution of the atoms and cells, which go to build up the embryo
body; nor can we even imagine that the embryo itself distributes them.
So it would be absurd to suppose that the atoms and cells move and
distribute themselves, automatically, in such a manner as to build up
the embryo.
How do the cells know when to begin the formation of the morula? How do
they know when it has been completed and when to begin the construction
of the blastula? How do they know when to take the form of the
gastrula, and when to enter the next stage?
The forces and motions required to build up the morula (a solid ball)
are different from those required to construct the blastula (a hollow
ball) and the gastrula (a two-layered hollow group of cells with an
aperture at one end of it); the morula, blastula and gastrula, each,
requiring forces and motions peculiar to itself. Now, what psychic
force stops the forces and motions, which build up the morula, and
sets to work the forces which construct the blastula and afterward the
gastrula?
It is obvious that these cells, (if there be enough of them), may be so
grouped as to form a sphere, cube, cylinder, plate or any other figure;
and that any of these may be solid, hollow or porous. The head, brain,
heart, kidneys and some other parts of the embryo, approximate the form
of a sphere; the trunk, arms, legs and many bones are approximately
cylindrical; other bones take the form of a plate, for example the
bones of the skull. The form and shape of the embryo, and of every
organ and part of it, depends entirely upon the manner in which its
component cells are grouped.
How is it possible for these unthinking microscopic cells to know at
what point to begin, and in what direction to grow, and in what manner
they shall group themselves, in order to construct the skeleton, brain,
spinal cord, heart, lungs, stomach, liver, kidneys, etc.?
The only reasonable hypothesis is that the production and placing of
cells in the embryo body are directed and controlled by a supernatural
psychic and creative force.
After the formation of a rudimentary head and trunk, two “arm-buds”
and two “leg-buds” appear on the surface of the trunk. At first these
“buds” are slight swellings or projections, but they soon take the form
of a cylinder and continue to grow mainly in length and slightly in
diameter, until the man or woman has finished his or her growth. Every
embryo that ever existed, grew and behaved in this same manner, thus
showing that the same supernatural psychic and creative force directed
and controlled the growth and deposit of cells in the body of every man
and woman that ever lived.
How could the cells possibly know at what point, on the body of the
embryo, to group themselves together in order to build up the arms and
legs? How could they contrive to give the arms and legs the form of
a cylinder, the length being several times as great as the diameter?
How could the cells possibly know that there should be only one bone
in each arm above the elbow and two below the elbow and the wrist? How
could they know the number of bones that should be placed between the
wrist and fingers? How could they know that there should be a thumb and
four fingers in each hand and the number of joints in each finger? How
could it be possible for the blind unthinking cells to build up the
two legs and feet, with all their bones, processes, joints, muscles,
nerves, arteries, veins, etc., without the aid and direction of a
supernatural psychic and creative force?
We are, therefore, compelled to assume that the Creator generates,
guides, and controls the forces which distribute and group the atoms
and cells in the body of the embryo.
Sec. 26. Distribution and Grouping of Cells in the Embryo Body,
Continued
The atoms and cells of which the embryo body is built up, and those of
which each organ and part is made, are carried to “the building site”
and there grouped by force. This force, whatever it may be, must be
sufficient to overcome the force of gravity and the friction, which one
atom or cell encounters in moving on the surface of another. This force
must be guided and controlled by a Being with a conscious intellect,
memory and will-power in order to build up the embryo body, or one of
its organs, and give it the proper form and size; for the right number
of atoms or cells must be carried to “the building site” of each organ
and part, or it will be too large or too small, and out of proportion
to the other parts of the body; and these atoms or cells must be so
grouped as to give the organ or part the correct form--not too long,
too wide nor too thick; else it will not fit into its place, nor be
in harmony with the other parts of the body. Intellect, memory and
judgment are necessary to construct the body or any part of it with
atoms or cells, for the builder must know the anatomy of the body; must
know the time when each part of the work must be done; must know the
relation of each part to every other part; must know the proper form
and size of each part, and the present form and size; must compare each
part with every other in order to preserve harmony and due proportion
among all the parts, in form, size and function.
The atoms of lime, phosphorus, carbon and oxygen, are assembled in
the body of the embryo and combined in such manner as to make the
rudimentary bones rigid and stable; others are assembled, combined
and so grouped as to form the muscles; others to form the brain,
spinal cord and nerves; others to form the arteries, veins, etc.;
each of these tissues has its own chemical composition and molecular
structure, radically different from the composition and structure of
every other tissue. Moreover, these chemical and molecular changes
(specializations) are made side by side at the same time, all at once,
the muscles being attached to the bones, and the nerves, arteries and
veins, ramifying through the muscles, bones, etc. Not only so, but
the atoms and cells, which form the bones, muscles, nerves, arteries,
veins, etc., are assembled, grouped and specialized at the exact
points, at which these tissues are needed to build up the embryo body.
What force or agency does this miraculous work? Surely, it is not the
father, nor the mother. It is not done by accident nor by chance, for
the same things happen in the development and growth of every normal
embryo body in every age and country the world over. All this wonderful
work is done in every embryo body by the same psychic and creative
force, whose work is uniform, continuous and everlasting.
The evolutionist says the development and growth of an embryo results
from “heredity;” that the child develops and grows as it does because
its father and mother and all their ancestors, for thousands of
generations developed and grew in the same manner; and that the
embryo develops and grows by “a natural continuous and necessary
evolution.”--(Haeckel, Ev. Man, p. 26.)
This is absurd, for the cells which build up the embryo, are new
combinations of the atoms of which they are composed; each embryo
develops and grows anew for itself; neither the germ-cell nor any of
its daughter-cells has any knowledge of the father, nor of the mother;
nor of their mode of development and growth; nor of their organs
and parts; nor has the embryo any power nor control over its own
development and growth, nor to imitate the development and growth of
its parents, even if it knew how they developed and grew.
Sec. 27. Differentiation (Metamorphosis) of Simple-Cells Into
Bone-Cells, Muscle-Cells, Nerve-Cells, Vascular-Cells, Gland-Cells, Etc.
A cell is said to be “a simple-cell,” when it is composed of carbon,
hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, with a possible trace of phosphorus and
sulphur,--when it consists of plain protoplasm--and before it has been
differentiated into a bone-cell, muscle-cell, nerve-cell or the like.
To convert a simple-cell into one of these specialized cells certain
atoms must be added to it, or taken from it; or certain atoms must be
taken away and others added to it; or the chemical combination of atoms
in it must be broken down and new ones formed. There is no change in
the properties of the chemical elements, which compose the human body.
For example, the nature and properties of carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen
and oxygen remain the same whether they are in or out of the body, and
the same is true of every other element.
The differentiation of simple-cells into bone-cells, muscle-cells,
nerve-cells, vascular-cells, gland-cells, etc., is effected by
changing the chemical elements, which enter into their composition;
or by changing the proportion of these elements to one another and
altering their molecular structure. In fact, it appears that every
differentiation and specialization of any animal, or of any organ or
part of one, is accomplished by changing its chemical constituents;
or by changing their relative proportions to one another and thereby
modifying its molecular structure, and by changing the mechanical
arrangement of its atoms and cells.
The entire work of building up the embryo body is done by making new
chemical combinations and new mechanical arrangements of the atoms and
cells of which it is composed.
Referring to the residue of the dry bone, which remains after calcining
it (burning away the soft parts of it), Professor Martin says:
“The residue forms a white, very brittle mass, retaining, perfectly
the shape and structural details of the original bone. It consists
of normal calcium (lime) phosphate or _bone-earth_ (CA₃, 2PO₄); but
there is also present a considerable proportion of calcium [lime]
carbonate (CaCO₃) and smaller quantities of other salts.” (Martin,
Human Body, p. 90.)
Under the head: “The Chemistry of Muscular Tissue,” he says:
“Muscle contains 75 per cent of water; and among other inorganic
constituents, phosphates and chlorides of potassium, sodium and
magnesium.” (Human Body, p. 123.)
According to this statement there is no lime in the muscles; and we
cannot believe there is any of this substance in any tissue of the body
except the bones; for every other tissue is soft and flexible. It is
clear that the purpose of putting lime into the bones, is to make them
rigid and stable in order to support the body and keep all its organs
and parts in place.
What force or agency assembles the atoms of lime, phosphorus, carbon
and oxygen, and combines them into the phosphate of lime, and the
carbonate of lime, to make the bones rigid and stable? Surely, it is
not the father, nor the mother, nor the embryo itself. It would be
preposterous to suppose that the atoms of lime, phosphorus, carbon and
oxygen, of their own motion, and automatically, assemble and combine
themselves, chemically, in such proportions as to form the phosphate of
lime, and the carbonate of lime in the bones; and that these atoms of
the phosphate and carbonate of lime group themselves, automatically,
into such mechanical arrangements as to form the bones with all their
processes, joints, cavities, perforations, etc., and fit them together
in the form of the skeleton.
The formation of bones in the body of a single animal, might, possibly
happen by accident or chance. But when bones are formed in the bodies
of all animals of the same species for thousands, or millions, of
years and when all of them, in the bodies of each species, have the
same chemical composition, the same structure, form and size; we
are compelled to assume that the same cause, force or agency, which
produces bones in each body, also produces them in every other body;
in brief that all bones are made by the same supernatural psychic and
creative force. The same is true of every other tissue.
But the evolutionist says that “heredity” works this miracle. In other
words, that this metamorphosis of simple-cells into bones, muscles,
nerves, etc., happens because certain similar cells in the bodies of
the father and mother were changed in the same manner. He overlooks
the fact that the cells, bones, etc., in the embryo body are new and
altogether different from those which were metamorphosed in the bodies
of its parents and that the forces which did that work were exhausted
in doing it. He forgets or ignores the fact that neither the germ-cell
nor any of its daughter-cells has any intellect, memory, will-power or
creative force; that they have no knowledge of chemistry, nor of lime,
phosphorus, carbon, oxygen, nor of their affinities; nor of bones; nor
of their forms, sizes and functions.
The differentiation and specialization (metamorphosis) of cells and
tissues; and their mechanical arrangement and grouping into the
several organs and parts of the embryo body are not the work of blind
mechanical forces; nor of chance; nor of accident; nor of unthinking
cells; but of the Almighty Creator.