11
The Miraculous Molecule That Regulates Body Temperature
Figure 56. The hormone thyroxin regulates the body's temperature, just like a thermostat. As you'll know, the normal body temperature for all human beings is between 36.5 to 37 degrees Celsius, or 96 to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. But have you ever wondered about the source of your body temperature and what maintains it at that constant level?
Central heating systems are generally employed to keep our homes warm, with thermostats that regulate the temperature. The householder warms his home by turning the thermostat up to the desired level. But what exactly is the human body's central heating system? And how is that "thermostat" adjusted?
Figure 57. The thyroxin molecules know how much heat the cell must give off and how that heat is to be increased—yet another miracle of God's creation.
Figure 58. When the pituitary gland sends a command to the thyroid, the thyroid immediately begins producing thyroxin and distributes this hormone to the entire body via the bloodstream.
The source of body heat is the 100 or so trillion cells in the human body. During the course of their activities, the cells emit a certain amount of heat, which causes the body to warm up. But it is the hormone thyroxin, a tiny molecule that regulates—with God's inspiration—how much heat each of these micro-heaters should give off. In other words, thyroxin acts as a thermostat (Figure 56).
The way a cell generates a specific level of heat as it operates, and that the total amount emitted by those roughly 100 trillion cells reaches the exact level required for healthy human life is a miracle all by itself. Somehow, thyroxin molecules know how much heat each cell should give off, and how that heat is to be increased—in itself this is a miracle of creation (Figure 57).
The secretion of the thyroxin is another miracle of creation. The moment the need for the hormone is felt, the hypothalamus—in effect, the "brain" of the hormonal system—sends a command (via the thyroid-stimulating hormone or TSH) to the pituitary gland, the conductor of the nervous system. Receivings this command, the pituitary gland realizes that the thyroid gland needs to go into action. And so, it immediately dispatches a command in the form of thyrotropin (or thyroid-gland stimulating hormone) to the thyroid gland. The thyroid, the final link in this chain of command, immediately produces the hormone thyroxin in accord with the chemical instruction reaching it, and distributes it throughout the entire body by way of the bloodstream (Figure 58).
It is not only the duty of the hormone thyroxin that is so very important, but also the level at which it is secreted. But how is that level determined? How is it that neither too much nor too little of this hormone is secreted into the blood (apart from in times of sickness and fever)? What determines the level at which thyroxin is secreted is a special system created by God with His infinite knowledge, consisting of two separate measurement and feedback mechanisms. Both mechanisms are the result of matchless engineering design.
Figure 59. When the level of thyroxin in the blood rises above normal, this hormone erects a literal barrier in front of the pituitary gland.
When the level of thyroxin in the bloodstream rises above normal, thyroxin produces a very significant effect on the pituitary gland: It reduces the pituitary gland's sensitivity to TSH, the thyroid secretion hormone (Figure 59).
If you think about it, a most marvelous structure is plain to see. The hormone TSH's task is to set the pituitary gland in action and send a message to the thyroid gland—which represents the second link in the chain of command established for the production of the hormone thyroxin.
The system has been planned in such great detail that the increased thyroxin takes a most intelligent measure to prevent any excess production of itself, and so interrupts the chain of command responsible for that production. Thus it is automatically able to slow down the production of thyroxin when the level of thyroxin in the bloodstream rises above normal (Figure 60).
There's a second system that also determines the level of production of thyroxin. Increased thyroxin affects the hypothalamus cells, which then reduce the production of TSH—and thyroxin production is slowed accordingly.
Figure 60. When the level of thyroxin in the blood rises above normal, the production process is automatically halted.
When the level of thyroxin in the blood decreases, the system works in the opposite direction. Aware that the level of thyroxin has gone down, the hypothalamus produces more TSH, which increases thyroxin production.
We now need to ask the following questions: how does thyroxin know that the chain of command for thyroxin production must be interrupted? How do the hypothalamus cells know that hormone secretion must be interrupted when thyroxin rises, but that they need to produce more when the thyroxin levels decline? How did this precisely efficient system first come into being?
To imagine that such a finely-planned procedure arose by chance is even more irrational than to claim that a computer and all its programs came into existence by chance. That is because just as with a computer, in order for this system to function, literally hundreds of other specially planned details—which we have not gone into here—must take place at the molecular level.
It is obvious that it is Almighty God, with His sublime intelligence and might, Who has created this system. God's knowledge pervades all places:
... My Lord encompasses all things in His knowledge so will you not pay heed? (Surat al-An'am, 80)
12
An Extraordinarily Delicate Balance
Figure 61 and 62. When free thyroxin molecules enter the cells, they are replaced by new thyroxin molecules separating from the transporters. Thus thyroxin molecules bonded to transporters are used as a reserve, and the requisite thyroxin is always ready to hand.
Thanks to the amazing systems we examined in the preceding chapter, the hormone thyroxin is secreted at a guaranteed level. In addition, however, yet another extraordinary system maintains the level of thyroxin in the blood stable, in the face of any emergency situation.
When the need arises for the hormone thyroxin, the hypothalamus sends an instruction to the gland. Realizing that the thyroid has to be activated, the pituitary gland immediately sends a command to the thyroid, which produces the hormone thyroxin and distributes it throughout the body.
The molecules of thyroxin that the thyroid gland releases into the bloodstream are attached to a transporter molecule specially created for that task alone. Traveling through the bloodstream in that form, they are unable to perform their function so long as they are bonded to the transporter molecule. Out of any 10,000 thyroxin molecules in the blood, only four will be present in an unattached form. These are the four molecules of thyroxin that affect cells' metabolic rates.12When these free thyroxin molecules enter the cells, new thyroxin molecules separate from the transporters to replace them. Thus the thyroxin molecules attached to the transporter molecules serve as a kind of storage depot, and the requisite thyroxin is always kept ready for immediate use (Figures 61 and 62).
This level of thyroxin necessary to affect the cells is based on a very delicate balance, to avoid the possible consequences if the amount of thyroxin acting on the cells increases or decreases beyond the level of 4 in 10,000. Inevitably, therefore, we should ask the following questions: By what mechanism are these trillions of molecules counted? How was it determined that a proportion of only 4 molecules in 10,000 is ideally suited to human health? How was it calculated that the remaining 9,996 molecules need to remain in a bonded, inactive state? How can the body determine that those four thyroxin molecules circulating in the blood vessels have declined in number and that other molecules need to be released to replace them?
How have these extraordinary mathematical calculations—and the system based on those calculations—functioned to perfection for thousands of years in all the human beings who have ever lived?
This example is without doubt just one of the countless proofs that Almighty God rules all worlds, whether visible to our eyes or not, and enfolds all things:
... He encompasses what is in their hands and has counted the exact number of everything. (Surat al-Jinn, 28)
13
Hormones That Prepare the Way For the Baby
Every four weeks, a healthy woman's body makes broad preparations in order for an egg to be capable of fertilization. Once again, hormones effect the main elements of those preparations.
At the very beginning of this four-week period, the woman's pituitary gland produces LH. After setting out from its origin in the brain, this hormone travels a considerable distance through the bloodstream before reaching the ovaries. Hormones are exceptionally minute molecules, and for them, movement through the human body represents a journey equivalent to many kilometers. However, every LH hormone reaches the ovary directly, never getting lost, with full apparent knowledge of its destination, and without being diverted toward any other organ. LH's arrival signals that it's now time for the ovaries to go into action (Figure 63).
Figure 63. Just as if it had consulted an anatomy chart, the hormone LH knows just where it has to go and reaches the ovaries without ever losing its way or deviating to any other organ.
Figure 64. The ovary contains thousands of immature egg cells. Under the effect of the hormone LH, some of these cells begins to mature. LH has a special formula that sets these cells in action.
Figure 65. Only one of the cells waiting to mature does so fully and then leaves the ovary.
Each ovary contains thousands of immature egg cells. Under the influence of the LH arriving from the pituitary gland —which possesses a special formula to set these cells in action (Figure 64)— a few of them begin to mature. There are a great many substances in the blood, yet apart from LH, none of these possesses the ability to activate ovulation. In other words, LH must have been especially cr ated for this purpose.
Only one of the cells fully matures, and this is released from the ovary in the form of an egg cell (Figure 65).
The developing egg cell and the nourishing layer around it are known as the follicle. FSH, another hormone sent from the pituitary gland, has a very interesting effect on the follicle, which suddenly starts producing another special molecule: the hormone estrogen.
How is it that the follicle, itself not yet fully developed, begins producing a hormone? How did it come to possess the mechanism and organization with which to make that production? What is the goal of that production?
It is certain that it is Almighty God, Lord of the worlds, Who does all these things. These systems are just one of the proofs of His infinite knowledge and sublime creation:
Does He Who created the heavens and earth not have the power to create the same again? Yes indeed! He is the Creator, the All-Knowing. His command when He desires a thing is just to say to it, "Be!" and it is. Glory be to Him Who has the Dominion of all things in His Hand. To Him you will be returned. (Surah Ya Sin, 81-83)
14
Hormones That Prepare the Way For the Baby
Figure 66. Under the effect of estrogen, the womb's muscles start to expand and muscle power increases. This precautionary measure protects the womb in the event that fertilization takes place and the egg settles there.
The duties undertaken in the female body by molecules produced by the follicle—in other words the estrogen—reveal yet another of the miracles in God's creation. Let us briefly survey these duties: One of the organs affected by the hormone estrogen is the uterus, which is where the fertilized egg will implant itself and divide and grow. Under the influence of estrogen, preparations in the uterus are begun. The walls of the uterus increase in thickness three to five times and are enriched with capillary vessels (Figure 66). If fertilization takes place, then these vessels will meet the embryo's nutritional needs.
This is a true miracle, because the still-developing follicle literally considers the future of the egg cell inside it, takes the requisite measures for the egg's future nourishment, and ensures that the uterus is prepared to receive the egg it will harbor in the future.
Figure 66. Thanks to the hormone estrogen, the adult female body assumes its own unique, distinct characteristics.
Of course, this raises a number of questions:
1. How does the follicle know that after being released, the egg cell will reach the uterus and remain there? How does it know that the uterus' capillary vessels will provide nourishment for the egg cell? How does it learn the formula that will ensure the multiplication of the blood vessels? These are all, without doubt, manifestations of the creative artistry of God the Exalted.
Figure 67. When estrogen molecules reach the epithelial cells in the womb, these cells begin secreting acid. This acidic environment is ideally suited for beneficial microbes to multiply in, and also helps prevent infection.
2. Under the influence of estrogen, the uterus muscles begin to expand and increase in strength. This is a precautionary measure, to protect the uterus in the event that the egg settles there after fertilization.13 The chemical molecule produced by a tiny follicle shapes the human body from top to bottom, and at the same time causes the necessary arrangements to be made for the future birth of a healthy human being (Figures 66 and67). The hormone estrogen is an unconscious substance consisting of atoms arranged one beside the other, produced by unconscious cells and affects other unconscious cells. Yet all these events take place within a broad plan, as a result of which the human infants emerge fully formed.
From all this, the following fact emerges: Estrogen definitely cannot complete all these steps of its own accord. It is our Lord, Almighty God, Who inspires all the actions that it carries out. It is He Who created the universe out of nothing in an incomparable manner:
O humanity! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single self and created its mate from it and then disseminated many men and women from the two of them. Fear God in Whose name you make demands on one another and also in respect of your families. God watches over you continually. (Surat an-Nisa', 1)
That is Allah, your Lord. There is no god but Him, the Creator of everything. So worship Him. He is responsible for everything. (Surat Al-An'am, 102)
15
The Hormones in the Male Reproductive System
Figure 68. In the years following birth, the hypothalamus secretes a hormone known as LHRH every three to four hours. Figure 69. However, this hormone is secreted in very small quantities. Some ten years afterward, the hypothalamus recognizes that the time for shaping of the male body has come and begins secreting LHRH at much shorter intervals.
Hormones also play a major role in the male reproductive system. Some 10 years after birth, with the beginning of adolescence, male hormones shift into full operation. Once again, the activation of these hormones takes place with a chain of command inside the body.
In this chain of command, the hypothalamus gland is the senior director.
In the years after birth, the hypothalamus secretes a hormone known as LHRH every three to four hours. Initially, however, the level at which this hormone is secreted is quite low. Some 10 years later the hypothalamus seems to recognize that the right time for the male body to be mature has arrived and it starts secreting LHRH at shorter intervals 14 (Figures 68 and 69). After waiting for many years, this tiny gland in some way suddenly decides to secrete more hormone, as if there is a pre-existing system that begins functioning only after a delay of 10 years. It is Almighty God, Lord of the worlds, Who establishes this system, predetermines when it should be activated, ensures that it works smoothly and inspires all the other processes associated with it.
LHRH, which begins being secreted more frequently when the right time comes, reaches the pituitary gland—the second stage in this chain of command. As soon as the pituitary gland receives this order, it secretes another hormone known as Lynchford, which issues an instruction for production of the male reproductive glands, the testes, to begin.
Why does it take years for all these processes to start up? And how is the timing of this mechanism determined? The answers to these questions remain a mystery to the world of science. Yet this system, whose secrets have still to be unraveled, has been functioning in the human body since our Almighty Lord first created it.
When LH reaches the testes by way of the bloodstream, the cells there start producing the hormone testosterone. The cells that manufacture the chemical formula of testosterone literally know that it is time for the body to assume a male appearance instead of a child-like one. That is because the testosterone they produce will turn a developing child into an adult male (Figures 70 and71).
It is certainly astonishing that unconscious cells should do all this. The resulting molecule literally knows the characteristics of a male body and directs trillions of cells so that they alter the juvenile body's shape.
Figures 70 and 71. Thanks to the hormone testosterone, the male body takes on its adult shape. For example, testosterone molecules affect hair root cells, causing the male beard and moustache to grow, the hairline to retract, the voice to deepen and the body to become capable of fertilizing a female's eggs.
16
Other Properties of the Hormone Testosterone
Figure 72. Testosterone is able to locate the few "letters" it seeks from among information consisting of 3 billion letters, enough to fill an encyclopedia thousands of volumes in size. This is another miracle of the countless miracles in God's creation. The plan behind the creation of the testosterone goes much further than this. An evident miracle of creation can be seen in the mechanism of this hormone's effects. In order to have the effects listed before, when the testosterone reaches the targeted tissue (the male genitalia) it enters the cells there. Inside the cells, it combines with an enzyme specially created for testosterone, which thus assumes a far more effective state.
The design and planning are still not finished. This newly formed hormone now combines with a receptor specially designed for it. The emergent molecular combination binds to the cell's DNA, and in the light of information it receives from the DNA, a new protein synthesis is created. This permits the determination of the difference between the male and female sexual characteristics, as well as the beginning of sexual functions.
This system is so perfectly designed that the mechanism—consisting of the testosterone, enzyme and receptor—locates the information encoded for it from among all the billions of pieces of data in the DNA and allows production to be made according to that information. For example, in order for a man's beard to emerge, the hair roots must literally know which portion of their DNA has to be activated. In order for the male voice to deepen, hormones trigger the appropriate region of the DNA in the cells of the vocal cord.
This information is of crucial importance. Testosterone is a molecule consisting of various numbers of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms, with the chemical formula C19H28O2. How does this inanimate, unconscious compound know where to find the relevant information in the DNA? More importantly, how can it locate the few letters it seeks from among information consisting of 3 billion letters—sufficient to fill thousands of encyclopedias— at great speed and without ever going wrong? Naturally, this takes place with the inspiration of Almighty God, the one God (Figure 72).
By now, hundreds of scientists have spent the last decade working on the Human Genome Project. They have succeeded in reading DNA only by using the most highly advanced technology. Yet they still do not know which region of DNA is concerned with which organ, protein or hormone in the body. Yet the hormones estrogen and testosterone know this very well, and have been acting on that knowledge for millions of years, without error, in the bodies of billions of human beings.
No doubt that this system by itself is a marvel of creation in which the artistry of Almighty God is revealed.
17
Hemoglobin: The Miraculous Oxygen – Bearing Molecule
Figure 73. Hemoglobin in the red blood cells releases the oxygen the cells need.
The main purpose of respiration is the expulsion of the carbon dioxide (CO2) from the body and its replacement by life-giving oxygen. These processes take place in a site far distant from the body tissues—in the lungs. That being so, the oxygen entering the body by way of the lungs needs to be carried to the tissues in some way, and the carbon dioxide forming in the tissues has to be removed from the lungs in the same way. How is that transportation carried out?
Figure 74. The hydrogen ion released is held by the hemoglobin molecule, and carbon dioxide is thus brought to the lungs by way of the veins.
Erythrocytes, or red blood cells, are the tireless, indefatigable carriers of the oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. The erythrocytes that come into contact with the air in the lungs release their carbon dioxide—a waste product—they've brought from the cells into small sacs, and absorb the oxygen in those sacs. This process takes place along a very special membrane. One side of this membrane receives oxygenated air in the sac or alveolus, while on the other side, there are capillary extensions of such narrow width as to permit only one erythrocyte to pass. In this way, oxygen molecules has no difficulty in making contact with the erythrocytes.
Figure 75. Carbon dioxide reaching the heart is pumped from there to the lungs.
The oxygen molecule is transported to the cells by a molecule inside the erythrocytes known as hemoglobin, which possesses a very special creation. In external appearance, it resembles a kind of donut with a thick membrane covering the central hole and is ideally suited to carrying both oxygen and carbon dioxide. Bonding to the oxygen molecules in the lung, hemoglobin sets out for the farthest parts of the body by way of the bloodstream. When it reaches the tissues that need oxygen, another miracle takes place. The hemoglobin molecule's very special design is affected by its chemical environment, and the chemical bond between it and the oxygen breaks. As a result, the hemoglobin deposits the oxygen molecules it is carrying, which permit life to continue in the surrounding cells (Figure 73.)
The duties of hemoglobin do not end here. It also plays an essential role in transporting the carbon dioxide that needs to be removed from its immediate surroundings. This phenomenon can be summarized thus:
Figure 76. The carbon dioxide reaching the heart undergoes several processes before being expelled from the body by way of exhalation. The three-dimensional structure of hemoglobin is shown above. The carbon dioxide produced by cell respiration passes from the cell to the tissue fluid, and from there to the capillary vessels. Part of the carbon dioxide combines with the hemoglobin in the erythrocytes and is transported away in the form of carbamino hemoglobin. The other part combines with water, under the influence of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, to form carbonic acid, which later separates into bicarbonate and hydrogen ions. The emerging hydrogen ion is caught by the hemoglobin (Figure 74).
Carbon dioxide is thus carried from the capillary vessels through the larger veins and finally to the heart (Figure 75). From there, it is transported to the lungs. Following various processes that take place in the lungs, the carbon dioxide is expelled during normal exhalation, several times a minute (Figure 76).
There is another noteworthy feature in hemoglobin's structure. As well as being able to transport oxygen, it can also release the oxygen it carries at the right moment. The secret behind this ability lies in the chemical bond established between the oxygen molecules and hemoglobin.
To help you fully understand the importance of this property of hemoglobin the following analysis should be useful: If the bond established between hemoglobin were even slightly weaker, hemoglobin would not attach to the oxygen. Then oxygen molecules would fail to be carried to the tissues. This would mean inevitable death for any living thing. Were the exact opposite to occur—were the bond between hemoglobin and oxygen to be even slightly stronger—then the hemoglobin and oxygen would be unable to separate from one another upon reaching the tissues. The cells would again be deprived of oxygen, and the living thing would die within a matter of minutes.
These two facts represent evident proof of a special design inside hemoglobin—a perfect system that has been created for transporting oxygen inside the human body. Every detail within this system is just one of the countless proofs that display the infinite nature of the knowledge and might of God.
18
The Communications System in the Cell
Figure 77. The antennae on cell membranes perceive the messages reaching them.
Modern-day telecommunications systems have been set up using electronic and mechanical equipment and the most advanced technology. Yet the communications systems inside the cell, whose secrets have still not been unraveled, employ devices composed entirely of protein. Instead of electronic circuits or semiconductors, as in our mechanical devices, organic proteins contain carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen atoms.
Even so, the communications system established among cells resembles those used by human beings in many respects. For example, there are sensors analogous to antennas on the cell membrane that permit them to understand the messages reaching them. Immediately beneath these antenna are structures analogous to switchboard that decode the messages arriving at the cells (Figure 77).
The "antennas" in question are located on the cell membrane, 1/100,000 millimeters thick, which surrounds the cell. Each receptor, known as tyrosine kinase, consists of three basic sections, the head, body and tail.
That part of the antenna that protrudes from the cell membrane is shaped somewhat like the dishes used to collect satellite broadcasts. In the same way that each satellite dish is directed towards the emissions of a given particular satellite, so different antennae understand the languages of the messages carried by different hormonal messengers.
Figure 79. In the same way that only the correct key will open a lock, the right antenna is affected by the message sent, which means nothing to any other antenna.
Messages from other cells—in the form of hormones—make contact with the antennas along the cell membrane. However, each antenna has been designed in such a way as to perceive only one chemical message. This is the work of a very special creation. In this way, one message sent does not erroneously set another cell into action (Figure 78).
Both the hormones and corresponding antennas have been created in such harmony with one another that almost all biology textbooks describe this relationship as resembling that between a lock and a key. Only the right key can open the lock; in other words, only the right antenna can address the message sent, which message meaning nothing to any other antenna (Figure 79).
The moment the hormone reaches the cell, an amazing system inside the cell goes into operation. The hormonal signal arriving at the cell is transferred onto its DNA by a very special communications system, and in light of that message, the cell is set in motion (Figure 80).
The message reaching the cell antennas is forwarded to the cell's nucleus at great speed, and during the course of this communication a most superior technology is employed. Both of these facts are great miracles, because the cell is an inanimate entity consisting of unconscious molecules—and the human body in turn consists of combinations of these cells. In the human body there are some 100 trillion cells each with its own highly advanced communications system. Even this information by itself, just one of the countless examples in the human body, is proof of the infinite knowledge of Almighty God, the Creator of humanity and the entire universe.
19
The Messenger Hormone’s Journey within the Cell
When any organ wishes to produce a given protein, it sends a message to the cells. When the "messenger" molecule reaches the cell, it attaches to the antenna on the cell membrane. During this bonding, it transmits the message it carries by its very presence to the antenna, which then forwards the information it has received to its "tail" in the interior of the cell. The antennas, which at the outset were in a single state, now come together in paired groups. Enzymes in the body region alter the shape of the tail section by adding phosphate to it, in a process known as phosphorylation. All these processes are to summon the proteins in the cell known as communication molecules (Figure 81).
Several molecules and proteins provide technical support for this system. At this stage, molecules known as GTP—and those proteins referred to as G for short—have an important effect. If the system is to function effectively, it is vital that several factors all enter into play at the right moment (Figure 82).
Figure 81. Communications inside the cell begin with molecules such as hormones that bear messages. Receptors in the cell membrane receive the message and forward it to the molecules inside the cell responsible for communications. This leads to the activation of various genes in the DNA and the production of whatever protein the message specified.
Figure 82. Many proteins and molecules provide technical assistance when the message regarding protein production reaches the cell, and then the DNA. The way that molecules—devoid of any awareness, intelligence or consciousness—behave with such marvelous harmony and collaboration is one of the clear manifestations of God's matchless creation and omniscience. God is the Almighty, the Sublime and Powerful.
It is evident that this communication system, whose first stage is described here in general terms, could hardly have come into being spontaneously, and that the unconscious atoms comprising the cell could not have thought up such a system. It is Almighty God Who created this perfect system from nothing. God is He Who inspires all living things with what they need to do and Who keeps them under His control at all moments.
20
Communication Control in the Cell
Figures 83 and 84. Receptors working like a communication switchboard find communication modules to which they will transmit reports.
Different hormones give rise to their own particular effects on the cells comprising the relevant organs. For example, the messages carried by the insulin and glucagons—which regulate the level of sugar in the bloodstream—have exactly opposite structures. For that reason, each hormone sets in motion different communications channels inside the cell. Receptors working like a communications switchboard locate the communication molecules, to which they will forward reports without fail (Figures 83 and 84).
At this phase, any wrong choice will damage the communication network and give rise to serious diseases that could even prove fatal. Yet the literally expert behavior of the receptors in the cell membrane maintains perfect communication.
This leads us to some important questions: How do the receptors stimulated by different hormones select, without error, the messenger proteins they need to combine with? How do these receptors manage to fulfill their duties without ever causing fatal errors?
Recent scientific research has helped us find the answers to these questions. The cell's flawless communication stems from its perfect design, a manifestation of Almighty God's extraordinary creation.
Let us consider SH2, the module about which we possess the most information. This protein particle consists of two main sections. One part of SH2 bonds tightly to the receptor tail; it is the second section that gives the SH2 particles their fundamental property, that of working like a code-reading device (Figure 85).
Figure 85. The SH2 module consists of two main parts, the second region of which works like a decoding device. This is responsible for solving the code and decoding the message carried to the cell.
The number and sequence of the amino acids in the receptor tail forms the coded message brought to the cell; only a form of SH2 module carries out the binding by resolving this code. In this way, a special line of chemical communication is established between the cell membrane and the nucleus. As you can now appreciate, all these complex processes are regulated according to a specific coding system, not haphazardly. This magnificent order is another sign that everything has been created in due measure, and to be compatible with everything else.
In order to show another example of this exquisite harmony, let us now consider the communications system that speeds into action to repair injury whenever—for example—a person cuts his finger. In that event, a messenger molecule called PDGF bonds to a smooth muscle cell receptor in the damaged blood vessel. As a result of this attachment, the arm of the receptor within the cell attracts to itself a protein known as Grb2, a messenger formed by the combination of SH2 and SH3 particles; it works like an adaptor to establish communication among proteins. In the wake of this, the Grb2 attracts a messenger protein called sos, already present in the cytoplasm inside the cell, which contains an enzyme to it. sos sets in motion another protein, ras. At the end of this sequence of processes, the command is transmitted to the relevant genes inside the cell nucleus, and the cell begins to divide, creating new tissue to heal the wound.
Based on the results of their research, scientists have arrived at the following interpretation: There exist mechanisms that automatically repair any possible flaws in the cell's communications system.15 These mechanisms, the product of a superior creation, are far more advanced than any control systems used in modern technology. In this way, hormones, receptors, adaptors, proteins and microscopic particles have all been acting in harmonious cooperation even since human beings were first created.
It's impossible to claim that such a complex order emerged by chance. The complexity in this system is far more advanced and extraordinary than the internal networks established by any multinational company with branches, production and marketing offices all over the world. Moreover, it is tiny molecules that are invisible to all but the most powerful electron microscopes, that enable this splendid network. All of its components are bound up with one another, rather than conscious, informed, trained and intelligent human beings.
One cannot, of course, expect molecules themselves to set up such a sophisticated organization. It is Almighty God, Lord of the worlds, Who created this system from nothing and Who inspires their activities in all its components.
The kingdom of the heavens and the earth and everything in them belongs to Allah. He has power over all things. (Surat Al-Ma'ida, 102)
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12- Op cit, , p. 521.
13- Oguz Kayaalp, Rasyonel Tedavi Yonunden Tibbi Farmakoloji (“Pharmacology”), p. 2750
14- Kemalettin Buyukozturk, Ic Hastaliklari (“Internal Diseases”), p. 392.
15- J.D. Scott, T. Pawson, “Cell Communication,” Scientific American, June 2000, pp. 54-61.
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