The functional inertia of living matter : a contribution to the physiological theory of life / [David Fraser Fraser-Harris].

  • David Fraser Fraser-Harris
Date:
1908
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: The functional inertia of living matter : a contribution to the physiological theory of life / [David Fraser Fraser-Harris]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    postulate in Newton’s First Law of Motion— ‘ Every body continues in a state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line, except in so far as it is compelled by forces to change that state.’ It is by reason of its inertia of rest that we find it difficult to move the massive gate swung on hinges of even relatively very small friction, there is, in other words, ‘ lost time ’ before the response begins ; on the other hand, once we have set the great gate swinging, it will move through a con- siderable angle after we have ceased to push it; this is due to its inertia of motion or momentum.” We have as biologists been so much impressed by the universality of that property of living protoplasm irritability or affectability, the power of responding to a stimulus, that it is just possible we have under- estimated a property no doubt of less importance but still of interest which I venture to call ‘ functional inertia.’ ” I then proceeded to define it as that property of protoplasm whereby the living matter contrives to remain in a functional status quo ante, notwithstanding that it has received a stimulus, or, having responded to the stimulus, it continues to ex- hibit its functional activity for a certain time after the stimulus as a form of energy has ceased to exist. Living protoplasm furnishes us with examples of inertia which might be called that of function.” This was written at the end of 1899 : since then I have become so convinced of the truth of it that I would alter none of it except the phrase in parenthesis—“ no doubt of less importance ”—to, “ no doubt of vast importance.”