Disease and Its Causes (PDF, MOBI, EPUB, FB2, TEXT)
ase of many animals it
seems as though the necessity of a fluid environment for living matter
did not apply, for the superficial cells of the skin have no fluid
around them; these cells, however, are dead, and serve merely a
mechanical or protective purpose. All the living cells of the skin and
all the cells beneath this have fluid around them.
Living matter occurs always in the form of small masses called
"cells," which are the living units. The cells vary in form, structure
and size, some being so large that they can be seen with the naked
eye, while others are so small that they cannot be distinctly seen
with the highest power of the microscope. The living thing or organism
may be composed of a single cell or, in the case of the higher animals
and plants, may be formed of great numbers of cells, those of a
similar character being combined in masses to form organs such as the
liver and brain.
In each cell there is a differentiated area constituting a special
structure, the nucleus, which contains a pe