The Relation of Science and Religion.pdf - Online Christian Library

250 SCIENCE AND RELIGION.of nerve energy, and the production of sensoryand motor activity, can be further consideredcapable of performing the function ofthought, covering the whole variety of mentaloccupations. Attention has been directedto the recognized diversities of nerve cells,which are unipolar, bipolar, and multipolar,on the hypothesis that these diversities maypoint to differences of function so great as toprovide what is required. But there is atotal failure of evidence to substantiate thishypothesis. The differences among the nervecells of the brain are differences in size, andin the number of the lines of communicationtaking rise from them. In accordance withthe plan' of arrangement everywhere recognized,the number of protoplasmic lines originatingfrom a cell gives an index to thepoints of contact it has in the surroundingtissue, and thus to the part it may performin the work of coardination or interaction.A small cell with only a single line or fibreproceeding from it, must be regarded as acell conveying nerve stimulus in only .a singledirection, and to only a single destination.A bipolar cell in accordance with the samerule of interpretation, is a cell having corn-