Page 128 - Consciousness in the Cell

CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE CELL

YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON SOMETHING

AS FLIMSY AS A COTTON THREAD

With the absence of just one enzyme, the human species could
go extinct. Only one example should suffice to dramatize this.
Nerve cells, called neurons, envelop our bodies, forming an
interconnected web. A constant flow of information takes place
along this web of neurons. Electric signals traveling along the
length of each neuron transfer innumerable commands and warn-
ings between the brain and other organs.
But neurons do not form one long cable extending from one
part of the body to another. They are placed end to end, but do not
even contact each other directly. There are gaps between them.
So how does the electricity flow from one nerve cell to the next?
It does so thanks to a very complicated chemical system that
comes into play. Between nerve cells is a special fluid containing
very specialized chemical enzymes, with the extraordinary ability
to transport electrons. When an electric signal reaches the end of
the nerve, its electrons are deposited onto these enzymes. The
enzymes, carrying their electrons, then move through the fluid
and transfer the electrons to the next nerve, thus passing along the
electric signal. This process takes place within the smallest frac-
tion of a second, and under no circumstances is the flow of elec-
tricity ever cut.
Again, even if all of the parts of the human body were com-
plete, the lack of this one enzyme would be enough to prevent the
organism from carrying out any functions at all. The same would
arise if any single one of the other thousands of enzymes were
lacking. No organism has the luxury of waiting millions of years
for blind coincidence to complete its ability to survive, as is
claimed by the theory of evolution.

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