生物界與工商界

"In the case of the mistletoe, which draws its nourishment from
certain trees, which has seeds that must be transported by certain
birds, and which has flowers with separate sexes absolutely requiring
the agency of certain insects to bring pollen from one flower to the
other, it is equally preposterous to account for the structure of this
parasite, with its relations to several distinct organic beings, by
the effects of external conditions, or of habit, or of the volition of
the plant itself."

Origin of Species by Charles Darwin , 1st published on 24 November 1859

就檞槣生的情況，它寄生在某些特定的樹上，它的種子要靠某些特定的鳥兒來播種，它的花分雌雄而得由某些特定的昆蟲來傳送花粉，此寄生植物之生存仰賴多種彼此截然無關的其它生物。若說此植物之所以如此，是因其外在的條件所然、或是因其習性所使、或是因該植物本身的意志力所致，三者同樣荒謬不實。

《物種起源》／作者：查理斯．達爾文，初版於1859年11月24日

生物學往往讓我想起工商社會的公司或工廠，那也是適者生存的世界。以上的例子，若把檞寄生想像為一公司或工廠，而此公司之營運與生存，仰賴特定的，或大或小的，且彼此毫無關係的其它公司。兩者之間是多麽相像啊！