Page 32 - Magnificence Everywhere
P. 32

THE HARMONY
                              BETWEEN WATER AND PLANTS

               All plants, large and small alike, from grasses to tall trees and the multitudes of
            flowers, can transport water and the nutrition they carry from the soil up to their
            farthermost leaves and branches . Yet, this transportation process is not achieved by
            means of systems present in the plants only. For this transportation to happen, the
            characteristics of water itself also need to be in harmony with the structures of the
            plants.
               We can see this harmony by looking at the general structure of water.
               It is evident that water, which is indispensable for the survival of the Earth's liv-
            ing things, is a substance that has been especially designed and created. One of the
            essential features of water is that it possesses a high "surface tension." Surface ten-
            sion occurs when the molecules on a liquid's surface attract each other, thus creat-
            ing a barrier between the air and the liquid. Because of this, a water container can
            carry an amount of water that is slightly higher than its own height without over-
            flowing. Also, a metal needle can float on water without sinking if it is carefully put
            on the surface in a horizontal position.
               The surface tension of water is higher than that of any other liquid, and this has
            far-reaching biological effects for the Earth. We will begin by examining its effect on
            plants.
               Plants, by means of surface tension, can carry water found in the depths of the
            soil up to heights meters above the surface, all without having a pump or muscle
            system. In the realm of human-designed structures, air pressure tanks, very compli-
            cated systems indeed, are required to carry water to the upper floors of apartment
            houses. Plants, however, have no such system. Water reaches the farthest points of
            the plant purely by means of surface tension. The tubes in the plants' roots and
            veins are designed in such a way as to make use of the surface tension of water.
            Going upwards, these tubes become narrower and narrower and so enable water to
            "climb" upwards. If the surface tension of water were at a low level, as in most other
            liquids, then land plants would be utterly unable to survive. This would negatively
       Magnificence Everywhere  plants which make use of this property indicates the perfect creation of Allah. These
            effect all living things on the planet. However, due to the perfect creation of both
            water and plants, such problems never arise.
               The compatibility between the high surface tension of water and the structure of


            constitute an important piece of evidence for the fact that nature and living things
            came into being not by chance, but through Allah's creation.





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