Page 64 - The Final Appeal to Mankind

«The Final Appeal to Mankind» by Nicolai Levashov

appear, which, upon amassing organic substance, begin dividing on their own. Now
eight identical cells are created, then sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, and so on. As a

result, the growth rate of monocellular organisms unfolds in geometrical progression.

For purposes of definition we will call organisms which synthesize organic substances
through photosynthesis “vegetable organisms.” The growth rate of the amount of
the simplest of these — phytoplankton — is defined by a biological efficiency
factor (BEF). This refers to that portion of sunlight per square unit of the
organism’s surface, which is absorbed and utilized for the synthesis of organic

substances.

For phytoplankton the BEF is 2-3 %. The absorption of sunlight is a necessary
condition for photosynthesis. However, sunlight does not penetrate more than 300 feet
below the surface of the primeval ocean. Therefore, phytoplankton only actively grows
close to the ocean’s surface, gradually producing a solid carpet of growth. (A given
area of ocean surface exposed to sunlight can support only a limited amount of

phytoplankton). The motion of water at the surface transports some of the
phytoplankton to the lower depths, where the sunlight either does not penetrate or is
insufficient to support the life of monocellular plants. They cannot move on their own
and depend completely on the circulation of the water. Most of the phytoplankton die
because of the above conditions, creating a large mass of organic substance during the
disintegration process. Yet, some of the organisms that were able to adapt to the new
conditions accumulated organic substances from the environment rather than

synthesizing them from the surrounding sea water. When, however, they were able to
return to the sunlit surface of the ocean, these organisms again began to synthesize
organic substances. Such organisms have survived to the present day.

The best-known representative of monocellular organisms with dual means of
obtaining organic substance is the Green Euglena (F Fi ig g. . 2 24 4).

Back to content 63