Page 165 - The Miracle in the Cell Membrane

CONSIDERING THE EXTRAORDINARY
ACTIVITIES IN OUR BODIES IS AN OPPORTUNITY
TO PROPERLY APPRECIATE OUR LORD.
Muscle Movement and Acetylcholine Channels:
A muscle contracts when the motor nerve it's attached to is stimulated.
When it reaches the terminals, the nerve transmission in the axon belonging to
this motor nerve enables a transmitter known as acetylcholine to be secreted.
This substance spreads in the space known as the synapse between the nerve
and muscle cell, binding to complex proteins (acetylcholine receptors) in the
muscle cell membrane. This binding causes the ion channel in every receptor
to open, and thus the current continues along the muscle cell membrane. This
causes electrical activity in the muscle cell, resulting in the muscle's contrac-
tion. By means of the perfect functioning of these systems, you are able to turn
the pages of this book with ease, sip tea with one hand and tap a rhythm out
with the fingers of the other.
One way of stopping this chain of events permitting muscle movement is to
block the acetylcholine receptors. This method is employed by some poisonous
animals to cause paralysis. The venom of the black widow spider, for instance,
causes acetylcholine disruption.
As you have seen, living your life in comfort, doing what you like
when you like, perceiving the world around you and reacting
appropriately, all take place flawlessly by means of this
special system Allah has created in your body.
However, acetylcholine channels represent
but a tiny part of your body's complex
Creation. Yet every detail in the
body has been created for some
important function with the
knowledge of our Lord.

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