On Ecologico-Metabolical Basis of Functional Arrangement of Organs in Animal Organism

Abstract

After an analysis of a number of text-books and manuals on physiology, undertaken with the object of establishing the nature of functional arrangement of organs in animal organism in accordance with the conceptions of classical physiology, an attempt has been made to show that the functional arrangemant of organs rests upon the interna! organisation of the turnover of substances within the environment. Facts have been brought forward showing that the basic process, from which the organisation of the functional arrangement results (as well as the functions of single organs), is incorporated in the system of performance of the turnover of substances in the form of a molecular stream which, during the life of the animal, goes on flowing through its body. The flowing mass of the molecular stream exceeds the constant vveight of the body by over a thousand times — when account is taken of the amount of flow during the whole of the individual’s life. In the axial flow of the molecular stream three qualitatively different sections can be differentiated corresponding to the three general stadia of sequential transforming reactions to which the metabolites are subjected in the course of their passage through the organism.

In section one are arranged ali degrees of entrance transformations of metabolites which are specific to the digestive-assimilative stadium of matter-turnover. Reactions of this stadium are successively performed by a series of definite organs of section one arranged in sequence in adequate groups, and in the order in which the successive transmutations of metabolic stream molecules take place. Section two of the metabolic stream embraces ali degrees of consumptive transformations of metabolites in dissimilative-oxidising stadium of mattei- turnover. The executive organs of this stadium largely belong to animal functions of the organism. Functional place and morphologic constitution of single organs correspond to the nature of metabolic reactions which the metabolites must necessarily undergo in the stage brought about by the organ concerned between the degree of transformation of metabolites and specificity of the organs there is a reciprocal congruity: they are mutually adequate.

Along with the continued passage of metabolites through sections of the metabolic stream the functional activity extends secondarily to a series of successive organs, passing from the first organ, to the second, then to the third, and so on, closely following the migration of metabolites of the molecular stream. Betvveen the successive functions of the organs of digestive-assimilative section of the stream as a whole and the successive functions of the organs of the entire dissimilative section of the metabolic river, the causal interlinking is accomplished in a cyclic way, i. e. the organs of section one are only engogedi in the preparation of food most of which is consumed in the organs of section two. The organs belonging to section two are only able to look for and obtain new food in the environment through dissimilative consumption of the best part of food assimilated during the preceding introduction, without however being able to digest it and assimilate. The organs of section one cannot look for or obtain food in the surroundings; nor can they consume the previously assimilated food in this way; however, they can digest and assimilate the food obtained. The active renewal of fresh and adequate supplies from the environment can only be accomplished by both sections of the metabolic stream through an orderly joint actoin and function of their organs, by common co-operation.

It is in dissimilative processes of the organs belonging to section one and section two of the metabolic river that the largest quantities of waste matter are produced; this has an inhibitory effect on the functions of the organs concerned. The waste matter undergoes another metamorphic change in the organs of the final section three of the metabolic stream: the organs then eliminate the terminal products from the organism.

In their flow through the organism of an animal, the metabolites manifest and bring into |play simultaneonsly two different properties directed towards the organs causing their transformations. On coming into contact with these organs the metabolites at first act as initiators of their functional activity; at the same time, they also activate — partly directly and partly through the released reactions on the part of the organs responsible for their turnover — various groups of secondary activators of the same executive organs. Influences now accumulate in the executive organs, influences that come direct from the initiatory metabolites as well as backreactions of secondary activators, bringing their joint action to bear in the right direction so as to increase the functional activity of the executive organs concerned. Once started, the functional activity of the executive| organs is specificaly directed against its initiatory activator subjecting it to an adequate transformation. In the new situation, the initiatory metabolite changes its role passing over from the position of initiator to that of a substratum of reaction, set in motion by the same substratum. After undergoing the transformation, the metabolite leaves the organ, having become — as a result of the reaction — a substance with new properties. In passing through a series of organs if its successive transformations, the entering metabolite keeps changing its pro|pertieS| so that, in each stage of transformation, a new generation, offspring matter (of daughters, grandchildren, greatgrandcildren, etc.) is born from the original parent-substance. Each metamorphic generation of a metabolite of the parent kind passes in its turn through the reaction processes in the new successive organs, being ali the time possessed of the duality of its reactions with its executive organs, i. e. initiators at the start of the reaction and substrata at the end of it. Furthermore, each metamorphic generation of organic metabolites — starting from the terminal stages of section one and during the initial stages of section two — in every new organ enters into close relations with cellular structures of the organ, where it temporarily appears as an ingredient of the organ itself or of its structure. For this reason, the structures of the organs must be regarded as dynamic creations the permanence of \vhich is only apparent, for a group definite metabolites passes through the structures as well, in a specific manner, forming small parts of the metabolic stream in the structures themselves. New quantities of molecules of the same kind keep flowing into the structures, replacing the old molecules that have to leave the organ after undergoing transformation. The equilibrium betvveen the entering and the leaving molecules of the structure lends it an apparent permanence, which is but a dynamic expression of the existing balance of infloiv and outflow of molecules of the structure.

The metabolic stream performs at the same time the role of a basic correlator of animal organism. Acting as initiators of functional activity of the organs that transform them, the metabolites bring about, by that very act, the Chemical correlation of the succesive organs through which their current passes. This way of linking up of the organs by means of metabolites of the main. metabolic stream provides the most primitive and philogenetically the oldest system of correlations in animal organišm. By their own flow the metabolites link ujp the intermediary metabolisms of the organs, the reactions of which they have to undergo themselves. The higher forms of correlations (neural and hormonal) derive philogenetically frorn the basic flow of the metabolic stream as its specific shoots. These occur only at the higher degrees of philogenesis, when. the basic metabolic stream is no longer able to effect by itself the entire correlation owing to high differentiation of individual branches and degrees of metabolism.