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Evolution or Organic Life In Jaina Biology
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It has usually been observed that certain stages in reproduction are critical in limiting organisms; seedlings 14 and larvae15 are usually more sensitive than adult plants and animals.
According to modern Biology, “Some organisms have very narrow range of tolerance to environmental factors, others can survive within much broader limits. Any gives organism may have narrow limits for another."16
It appears from a close study of the world of life in Jaina Biology in regard to the ecosystem that temperature, 17 light,18 water, 19 atmospheric gases 20 and food 21 are some of the important limiting factors regulating the distribution of plants and animals.
"Temperature is an important limiting factor, as it is demonstrated by the relative sparceness of life in the desert and arctic. The role of light is important in controlling plants and animals. Plants and animals must have light for their survival but they had to evolve mechanisms, for protection against too much or too little light.
Water is a physiologic necessity for all organisms, but it is a limiting factor primarily for land organisms.
14. Stages of embryonic seed (Jonibhūe bie ), hypocoty (first radicle = mula),
cotyledons(prathamapatras ), epicotyle (prathamakisalaya) and its development or growth ( vivaddharta ), Pannavanā 1. 154. 9. 97-98.
Biology, p. 571. 15. See Sūtrakrtānga II. 3. 19-20 ; Tattvārthādhigama Sūtra II. 24.
Three sensed beings e g. Pipilika (ant ', trapusa vinas ( cucumber weevils ), traņapatra (haraka) Plant lice) and four sensed beings e. g. kita (butter flies and moths', Patanga (grass hoppers and locusts) have larvae stage before coming
into being (adult ). Biology, p. 5 1. 16. Ibid, p. 571. 17. Sūtrakṣtānga 11. 3. 18. Bhagavati Sūtra 7. 3. 274–5. 19. Sūtrakrtāng, II, 3. 20. Sūtrakṛtānga II. 3. 21. Sūtrakrtānga II. 3. "Äháraniksepa”. “Some beings are born in earth as trees.
These beings feed on the liquid substance of these particles of earth, the origin of various things ; these beings consume earth-bodies, water-bodies, fircbodies, wind-bodies, bodies of plants, etc. “Pudhavisu rukkhattáo viuffamti te jiva tesim ņāņāvihajoniyāņaṁ pudhaviņam sinehamāhāremti, te jivā ābāremti pudhavisariram ausariram teusariram Vausariram vanassaisariram" II. 3. 43, p. 91.
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