Page 50 - Consciousness in the Cell

CONSCIOUSNESS IN THE CELL
FOR EVENTS TO TAKE PLACE IN YOUR CELLS,

KNOWLEDGE IS REQUIRED

Digested food that has come from the stomach to the small
intestine contains very strong acids—posing a serious danger to
the duodenum, because unlike the stomach, the duodenum has no
special lining to protect it from acid.
So how is it that the duodenum escapes damage from the acids
in digested food? Determining the answer requires us to examine
the events that take place during digestion, and an awareness of
the amazing processes that occur in our bodies.
When the level of acid reaching the duodenum from the stom-
ach becomes dangerously high, the walls of the duodenum release
a hormone called secretin, which protects the duodenum and is
found in the walls of the small intestine in an inactive form, called
prosecretin. On contact with acid, prosecretin is converted into
secretin.
Released into the bloodstream, secretin travels to the pancreas
where it stimulates the release of enzymes. The pancreas, on learn-
ing by the presence of secretin that it is in trouble, sends to the
duodenum bicarbonate ions that neutralize the acid and thereby
protect the duodenum.
How did these processes, so vital to human life, come about?
Located in the pancreas is "knowledge" of the substance needed
by the duodenum cells, and the formula to activate them. The way
the pancreas "understands" the message sent by the duodenum,
and its subsequent release of bicarbonate ions are all miraculous.
Here, in talking about the intestinal cells, we use terms like
"knowledge" and "understanding" to emphasize the events that
take place in the human body. However, as every conscious per-
son can appreciate, it is impossible for a cell to think, to possess

48