Maisha hueleweka ukiyatazama kwa nyuma, lakini tunaishi tukitazama mbele.

 

Msemo (saying)

Maisha hueleweka ukiyatazama kwa nyuma, lakini tunaishi tukitazama mbele. 

Translation: Life can be understood looking backwards, but we live looking forwards.

We have to look back in order to be able to plan the future.

In an article by Diana Kendall titled ‘Some Pre-Socratic Ideas of Change and Permanence’ on philosophynow.org, the questions are asked:

When change is viewed as a continuous set of alterations in the same thing, and not as the substitution of one single item by another, questions arise. What is this “same” thing that persists and yet is different from what it was? What are the “changes” that occur without altering the identity of this “same” thing?

Many of the pre-Socratic thinkers of the sixth and fifth centuries B.C. were particularly interested in such questions. They wanted to make clear what gives the universe permanency in the face of all its changing aspects, whether these were periodic as in the case of the seasons or seemingly unpredictable as with the first raindrop in a particular spot.

We shall answer the questions considering the context from which they apply and the position of the entity of interest in the world. The concept of change depends on the agency that induces it. Naturally induced change is impervious to the whims of environmentally induced change whether the environmental stimulus is controlled by physical or chemical input.

In Kiswahili, the two forms of change could be defined using:

1.    “enda” for naturally induced change, that is, being in motion.

2.    “hamisha” for environmentally induced change, that is, moving something.

Enda - 1 go, proceed, move ahead, extend to. 2 move, be in motion. 3 leave, go away. 4 operate, work. 5 go on, keep on, continue.

Hamisha - 1 confine a maid. 2 confine patient for special treatment; prevent, inhibit.

Hamisha - shift (from), move somebody/something; transfer, evacuate, relocate, remove from.

Let’s look at genetics and how they express themselves in the natural world. There is a genetic difference between a complex animal like a leopard that manifests itself in its characteristic behaviour of freedom and independence; vis a vis that of simple cnidaria, termites and bees that manifest in their characteristic behaviour of castes.

Polymorphism (genetic permanence/natural change) is freely determined morphological variation of the same species whereby the differentiation is genetically induced regardless of environment. Polyphenism (genetic plasticity/environmental change) is morphological variation determined by environmental factors including controlled intra-organism communication e.g. through chemical pheromones. Environmentally induced polyphenism causes formation of colonies of zooids and castes.

Polymorphism

This is the occurrence of two or more clearly different forms/morphs in the population of a species that reproduces freely and randomly within a particular location. For example, light-morph leopards and dark-morph leopards whereby the gene for skin colour in a leopard can express itself in a light form or dark form. Polymorphism is the most common in nature as it is found in complex free-living organisms, from plants to animals to human beings since it genetically determines even gender (male and female forms), and is also related to biodiversity, genetic variation and adaption.

Polyphenism

This is the occurrence of two or more different forms/morphs of a species of the same gene as a result of differing environmental conditions/stimuli. It can take the form of:

1. difference in mere appearance like arctic foxes and snowshoe hares which are white in winter and brown in summer, changing patterns on butterfly wings or;

2. it can take the more substantial form of difference in structural and functional traits like temperature-induced gender determination of hatching crocodiles, the transformation of nematode worms into either active adult worms or dauer larvae in stasis depending on resource availability, social caste insects like bees and termites which develop differing body forms due to exposure to differing temperature, moisture, pheromones and nutrition. As well as aquatic cnidaria like obelia which have physically bound colonies of differing individuals in one physical body. These individuals are called zooids. For example, obelia has within it, feeding individuals (gastrozooids), individuals capable of asexual reproduction only (gonozooids, blastostyles), and free-living or sexually reproducing individuals (medusae). Polyphenism is less common in nature, being confined to the more rudimentary caste organisms or larger complex animals living in extremely shifty environmental conditions.

 

References

Diana Kendall (1991). Some Pre-Socratic Ideas of Change and Permanence. philosophynow.org

E.B. Ford (1965). Genetic polymorphism.

TUKI (2001), Kamusi Ya Kiswahili-Kiingereza; Swahili-English Dictionary. Published by Taasisi ya Uchunguzi wa Kiswahili (TUKI), Chuo Kikuu cha Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.