--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If the germ plasm wants to swim in the…" description: "\"If the germ plasm wants to swim in the ocean, it makes itself a fish; if the germ plasm wants to fly in the air, it makes itself a bird. If it wants to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/george-wald-9544_air_if-the-germ-plasm-wants-to-swim-in-the-o_1840655.jpg" --- # If the germ plasm wants to swim in the ocean, it makes… ![“If the germ plasm wants to swim in the ocean, it makes itself a fish; if the germ plasm wants to fly in the air, it makes itself a bird. If it wants to go to Harvard, it makes itself a man. The strangest thing of all is that the germ plasm that we carry around within us has done all those things…” quote by George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/george-wald-9544_air_if-the-germ-plasm-wants-to-swim-in-the-o_1840655.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/george-wald-9544_air_if-the-germ-plasm-wants-to-swim-in-the-o_1840655.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/496/george-wald-9544_air_if-the-germ-plasm-wants-to-swim-in-the-o_1840655.jpg) > “If the germ plasm wants to swim in the ocean, it makes itself a fish; if the germ plasm wants to fly in the air, it makes itself a bird. If it wants to go to Harvard, it makes itself a man. The strangest thing of all is that the germ plasm that we carry around within us has done all those things. There was a time, hundreds of millions of years ago, when it was making fish. Then ... amphibia ... reptiles ... mammals, and now it's making men.” [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Biological drives shape form; organisms adapt to fulfill desired functions, including humans. **In simple terms:** Biology adapts to goals. Key Takeaway Adapt to your environment. Themes biology adaptation evolution purpose Mood inquisitive thoughtful Type scientific metaphorical When to use this quote - medical research - education - personal development Key Concepts germ plasm phenotypic plasticity Questions to Reflect On - What drives your personal evolution? - Can we direct our biological destiny? A Different Perspective Simplifies complex evolution to intent. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bird/) [Evolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evolution/) [Mammals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mammals/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Ocean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ocean/) [Reptiles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reptiles/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [“germ plasm provides a selective advantage because it enables more rapid evolution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/germ-plasm-provides-a-selective-advantage-because-it-enables-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The water trapped in my window makes it like an aquarium—which makes me the fish.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/the-water-trapped-in-my-window-makes-it-like-an-aquarium-which-makes/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [The man who never alters his opinions is like standing water, and breeds reptiles of the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-blake/the-man-who-never-alters-his-opinions-is-like-standing-water-and/) [William Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-blake/) > [The Loch Ness monster doesn't exist either. Loch Ness is just not big enough to hide a thirty foot amphibian or reptile for hundreds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-jones/the-loch-ness-monster-doesn-t-exist-either-loch-ness-is-just-not-big/) [Brian Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-jones/) > [“Reptiles, they aren't puppies, but they sure are cute”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-paul-kreft/reptiles-they-aren-t-puppies-but-they-sure-are-cute/) John Paul Kreft > [“He fell into a solemn silence, which he only eventually broke to say, “I think I’ve become a terrible person. In fact, I’ve become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valeria-luiselli/he-fell-into-a-solemn-silence-which-he-only-eventually-broke-to-say-i/) [Valeria Luiselli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valeria-luiselli/) > [In them was not the savage blankness of the reptile species. 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I have a fascination with fish, birds, whales - sentient life - insects, reptiles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/i-love-all-animals-i-have-a-fascination-with-fish-birds-whales/) [Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/) > [Nice creepy reptile,” Frank said, very aware of the driftwood in his coat pocket. “Nice poisonous, fire-breathing reptile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/nice-creepy-reptile-frank-said-very-aware-of-the-driftwood-in-his/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [The combination of such characters, some, as the sacral ones, altogether peculiar among Reptiles, others borrowed, as it were, from groups now distinct from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-owen/the-combination-of-such-characters-some-as-the-sacral-ones-altogether/) [Richard Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-owen/) > [What greater weakness can there be than not to know what is the source of one's being, of one's life, of one's senses, of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-de-la-bruyere/what-greater-weakness-can-there-be-than-not-to-know-what-is-the/) [Jean de la Bruyere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-de-la-bruyere/) ## More by George Wald > [Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/civilization-will-end-within-15-or-30-years-unless-immediate-action/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [So-called defense now absorbs sixty per cent of the national budget, and about twelve per cent of the Gross National Product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/so-called-defense-now-absorbs-sixty-per-cent-of-the-national-budget/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I have lived much of my life among molecules. They are good company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-have-lived-much-of-my-life-among-molecules-they-are-good-company/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Evolution advances, not by a priori design, but by the selection of what works best out of whatever choices offer. We are the products…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/evolution-advances-not-by-a-priori-design-but-by-the-selection-of/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Every creature alive on the earth today represents an unbroken line of life that stretches back to the first primitive organism to appear on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/every-creature-alive-on-the-earth-today-represents-an-unbroken-line/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I think if a physician wrote on a death certificate that old age was the cause of death, he'd be thrown out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-if-a-physician-wrote-on-a-death-certificate-that-old-age-was/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I am growing old, and my future, so to speak, is already behind me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-am-growing-old-and-my-future-so-to-speak-is-already-behind-me/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [A scientist should be the happiest of men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/a-scientist-should-be-the-happiest-of-men/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I think all of you know there is no adequate defense against massive nuclear attack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-all-of-you-know-there-is-no-adequate-defense-against-massive/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [We've committed many war crimes in Vietnam - but I'll tell you something interesting about that. We were committing war crimes in World War…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/we-ve-committed-many-war-crimes-in-vietnam-but-i-ll-tell-you/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [Science goes from question to question; big questions, and little, tentative answers. The questions as they age grow ever broader, the answers are seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/science-goes-from-question-to-question-big-questions-and-little/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [There's life all over this universe, but the only life in the solar system is on earth, and in the whole universe we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/there-s-life-all-over-this-universe-but-the-only-life-in-the-solar/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [I think I know what is bothering the students. I think that what we are up against is a generation that is by no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/i-think-i-know-what-is-bothering-the-students-i-think-that-what-we/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [A physicist is an atom's way of knowing about atoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/a-physicist-is-an-atom-s-way-of-knowing-about-atoms/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) > [There are only two possible explanations as to how life arose: Spontaneous generation arising to evolution or a supernatural creative act of God… There…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-wald/there-are-only-two-possible-explanations-as-to-how-life-arose/) [George Wald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) [Explore all 72 George Wald quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-wald/) ## More Air quotes > [I will be a tireless advocate for our District's defense priorities including Sheppard Air Force Base, Pantex, Bell Helicopter, universities conducting important research, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronny-jackson/i-will-be-a-tireless-advocate-for-our-district-s-defense-priorities/) [Ronny Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronny-jackson/) > [I have lifted my plane . . . for perhaps a thousand flights and I have never felt her wheels glide from the Earth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beryl-markham/i-have-lifted-my-plane-for-perhaps-a-thousand-flights-and-i-have/) [Beryl Markham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beryl-markham/) > [If U.S. air, naval, missile, and ground forces were not in and around Korea, and if we were not treaty-bound to fight alongside South…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/if-u-s-air-naval-missile-and-ground-forces-were-not-in-and-around/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The cooler days have brought a wistful mood upon him. 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But is it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/it-is-sometimes-said-that-scientists-are-unromantic-that-their/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [After a few mouthfuls of moon-flavored air, even the stubbornly drowsy can find themselves wide-eyed.. All the normal noises of life were gone, leaving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/n-d-wilson/after-a-few-mouthfuls-of-moon-flavored-air-even-the-stubbornly-drowsy/) [N.D. 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