Page 16 - The Miracle of Hormones

THE MIRACLE OF HORMONES

As you are reading this, millions of operations are happening in
your body. In these operations there is a calculation of the needs of every
cell in every part of the body, and a determination of what function each
cell must perform; measures are taken to respond to the requirements of
the cells and each cell is informed individually as to what it must do.
For example, what allows you to read this book are your eye cells,
and to nourish them, glucose is required. To respond to those needs, a
system was established in your body that calculates how much sugar
there is in your blood and that keeps the amount stable. There is a great
plan, organized by the web of communication among the cells, that cal-
culates how many times a minute your heart must beat, the level of calci-
um stored in your body, the amount of blood your kidneys filter and
thousands of other such details. This system of chemical communication
that ensures that the 100 trillion cells work in harmony with one another
is called the hormone system.
The hormone system, together with the nervous system, ensures the
coordination of the cells of the body. If we compare the nervous system
to messages sent over the Internet, the hormone system can be compared
to a letter sent by post: it is slower, but its effect lasts longer.
When we examine these systems that control the body, a fact be-

comes clear that most people are not aware of. Most people are con-
vinced that they themselves control the direction of their lives. If you
asked someone, "How much of your body do you control?" he would
surely say, "All of it." But this answer contradicts the scientific facts.
Aperson is in control of a very limited part of his body, and even of
that part his control is only partial. For example, he can use his body to
walk, or to speak or he can use his hands to work, but deep within his
body there are thousands of chemical and physical operations going on
without his knowing about or willing them. Anyone who thinks that he
is completely in charge of his own body (or his own life) is greatly mis-
taken.

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