W.E.A. BIOLOGY CLASS

Evening Star, Issue 19890, 12 June 1928, Page 2

W.E.A. BIOLOGY CLASS

Last Friday evening Dr Holloway gave the first of a series of lectures on ‘ Some Principles of Biology’ as Applied to Human Life.’ The first tali dealt with ‘The Principle of Community Life.’ This commenced with a general comparison of the lowest and the highest types of organisms, and it was shown that in both the plant and the animal world the lowest organisms aie composed of one cell, which has to carry out all the functions of life, and so remains iinspecialised. Progressive evolution in the organisation ot communities was illustrated by means ot lantern slides showing the colony-long-ing primitive types of animals and plants, hydra and obclia, and algal plants. Two principles diavo been evolved in Nature, association or cooperation and division of labour. 1 bus cells combine to form multi-cellular organisms where the individual cells cooperate to form a higher kind of individual. There is a. second typo of community where there are a number of multi-cellular organisms joining to form a kind of colony cither temporarily or permanently, as in human communities. The most important question to-day is: “Is the modern human community a success?” Some people say that if the human community could be based on the _ same principles as the insect communities wc would get along better than wo do. But how far can the insect communities bo regarded as a success? Take, for instance, the white ants. They are organised, and each individual has its place and work. Everything works sraoothlv because it works mechanically. There is no room for initiative or intelligence. Biologists state that ants and ant communities have been in existence for at least sixty million years, and they have not advanced at all. Human beings would not be content with that. The individual ant loses its individuality. The human individuality is based on initiative and character, which has been evolved in man but mno other organism. Before the modem human community can be a success the individuals must work together in the interests of the whole. The whole trend of evolution in the plant and animal kingdoms shows that there would be no evolution possible without co-operation for the common good. The human community will bo at its best when each individual acts in the interests of the whole, and dedicates Iris power of initiative and all his qualities to that end.