Page 26 - Consciousness in the Cell

CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE CELL
HOW CAN CELLS RECOGNIZE ONE ANOTHER?

In high school or at college, we've studied how human beings are
formed. In its first stages, the embryo is a formless piece of tissue.
But as it continues to develop, some cells form the arms, some the
inner organs, and a few are set aside for the eyes. Every cell "knows"
where it must go, which organ it will form, to what degree it should
multiply, and when to stop dividing. But the following extract pro-
vides another amazing fact about the embryo's development:
If we separate the cells of the embryo that belong to different
organs—by decreasing the amount of calcium in the environ-
ment—and then later on, mix these cells together in a suitable
environment, we find that on coming into contact once again, the
cells that belong to the same organs recognize each other and form
distinct groups of cells that belong to the same organs. (Ahmet
Noyan, Yasamda ve Hekimlikte Fizyoloji (Physiology in Life and
Medicine), 10th ed., Ankara: Meteksan Publications, 1998, p. 40)
That is, if cells are first separated from each other, then brought
together again, the cells that make up the same organs recognize
each other and reassemble themselves again.
But how can these cells, which have no brain or nervous system,
no eyes or no ears, recognize each other? How do these substances,
formed from some molecules with no brain or consciousness, rec-
ognize their own type of cell out of a group? How can they know
that they will later unite to form an organ? What is the source of the
obvious consciousness displayed by these unconscious molecules?
The source of their consciousness is God, the Lord of the worlds,
Who created the whole universe out of nothing.

We will show them Our signs on the horizon and

within themselves until it is clear to them that it is
the truth. Is it not enough for your Lord that He is
a witness of everything? (Qur'an, 41: 53)

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