Abstract
IN an interesting letter which appeared in NATURE (p. 341), under the above title, the Duke of Argyll brings forward a “doctrine of prophetic germs” as explanatory of certain rudimentary structures. He refers particularly to the electrical organ of the skate, which he regards as an example of such a germ. The doctrine is that these functionless organs are not structures which have been useful, but are endowed with “utilities yet to be.”
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BURDON-SANDERSON, J. Functionless Organs. Nature 38, 387–388 (1888). https://doi.org/10.1038/038387b0
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/038387b0
