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Show "Loose Loose " " " ProtopIaslll Protoplasm ProtoplasmHas Has RIlrthlnic Rhythmic ) FIo"r FIor Flow Flowof Flowof " of Higher Life TissuePhiladelphia Tissue TissuePhiladelphia Philadelphia - Protoplasm , the thematerJal thematerial thematerial materJal material basis of l life e , shows even m in ma ina ma a 'loose loose ' loose " state swte something sometlung of the thesame thesame thesame same kind kmd of rhythmic action that thatIS thatis thatis IS found in heart tissue and other othermuscles othermuscles othermuscles muscles with nervous systems to toguIde toguide toguide guIde and co ordmate ordinate their contrac contrac- contractIons contractions contractions - - tions Thus states Prof Wilham William WilhamSelfrlz WilliamSeifriz WilliamSeifriz Selfrlz Seifriz of the University Umverslty of Penn Penn- Pennsy1vama Pennsylvania Pennsylvania - sylvania sy1vama , in m SCIenceProfessor ScienceProfessor Science ScienceProfessor Professor Seifriz Selfnz has for years yearsmade ) vearsmade ears earsmade made a special studv study of ot one of the themost themost themost most familiar famI1lar forms of ' loose " pro pro- protoplasm protoplasm protoplasm - toplasm , the slime shme molds or m myxo- myxo myxomycetes mvxo-mycetes mvxo mycetes ) xo- xo xomycetes - - mycetes These are close to the thevery thevery thevery very bottom of the scale of at hvmg living hvmgthmgs livingthings livingthings thmgs things , and consist simply ot of masses massesof massesof massesof of naked protoplasmllthout protoplasm \ without \llthout llthout tiithout cell cellwalls cellwalls walls \ aIls or any other visible organiza orgamza- orgamza organiza- orgamzatIon organization organization - - tion tionIn In this ' loose " protoplasmic mass massthere massthere massthere there are constant streaming streammg cur cur- currents currents currents - rents , as indeed mdeed there are currentsm currentsill currents ill m all protoplasm within wlthm living hvmg cclls cells ccllsof cellsof cellsof of higher l life e forms In time lapse lapsemotIon lapsemotion lapsemotion motIon pictures taken tal.en talen . by two French Frenchcol1eagues Frenchcolleagues Frenchcolleagues col1eagues colleagues , Drs J Coman Comandon don nnd and nndP andP andP P de Fonbrune of the Pasteur in inshtute instatute institute shtute statute at Garches , Profpssor Professor Se Seifriz Seifrizhas Seifrizhas nz nzhas has seen how the flow in m a myxo- myxo myxomycete myxomycete myxo-mycete myxo mycete - - mycete sets evenly m one dIrectIon dIrectIonfor directionfor directionfor for 40 or 45 seconds , then reverses reversesand reversesand reversesand and sets in the other direction dlrectLon for foran foran foran an equal period penod When the proto protoplasmIc protoplasmic protoplasmic plasmIc flow fio\/ fio fioIS floe \ / ; is outward out\/ard out ard \ / the slime- slime slimemold slimemold slime-mold slime mold - - mold mass contractshen contracts , . \ / when \/hen hen the flow flowis flowis flowis is inward mward , it expandsThIS expandsThis expands expandsThis This , among other observed prop properhes properties properties erhes erties and phenomena , is taken by byProfessor byProfessor byProfessor Professor Seifriz Se rlz as evidence thatprotoplasm that thatprotoplasm thatprotoplasm protoplasm even in its sImplest simplestleast , , least ' organized ' state stale , is no less lesstruly lesstruly lesstruly truly alive allc all\ all alit \ c a than thm : arc are some of its more morecomplex morecomplex morecomplex complex forms |