NITRIC OXIDE: THE MIRACLE MOLECULE THAT DILATES BLOOD VESSELS

Hormones make their way through a blood vessel,	and bind onto receptors on the blood vessel lining.	A chain reaction is initiated.	The vessel lining begins production of nitric oxide.
Nitric oxide molecules reach the vascular smooth muscle cells. Nitric oxide binds onto an enzyme in the cell. In this way, the activated enzyme begins to synthesize cGMP from GTP.
cGMP then travels to the myosin and activates it.		As a result, the muscle cells relax and dilate.

Three scientists who won the 1998 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine discovered that molecules of nitric oxide (NO), released by blood vessels, had the ability to relax them. The NO molecule regulates tension in the walls of blood vessels, but doesn't carry out this act by itself. Rather, it functions as a mediator in relaxing the blood vessel.

To understand how this cascade process works, examine the diagram on the next page. For the vessels to relax, first of all some hormones in the blood start the process by sending an alert, binding to receptors found in the blood vessel lining. We can compare this to a domino effect, when a single domino falls and brings down a whole row of others. Immediately after the hormone sets off an alert signal by binding to the receptor, the vessel lining "realizes" what it must do and begins producing nitric oxide. Some of the NO molecules, "knowing" what they have to do as soon as they are released, head quickly for the vascular smooth muscle cells. Entering the cells, they bind to an enzyme.

This is the second step. But in order for the vessel to relax, yet a third step must be reached. Once NO has combined with the enzyme in the smooth muscle cell, GTP (guanosine triphosphate) is converted to cyclic guanosine monophosphate, or cGMP. Obviously, this newly synthesized molecule has a role to play in this cascade and, to bring this about, it makes its way to myosin. Myosin is a necessary protein needed in the contraction and relaxation of muscle cells. Here, the final step has been reached. With the action of myosin the last domino falls, and the muscle cells relax.

Reviewing these steps again, we see that the hormones and cells taking part in this process act in a thoroughly knowledgeable manner. The alerting hormones found in the blood go to the appropriate place, influencing the vessel lining and initiating the process. Similar insight is displayed throughout the rest of the whole process. Every signal makes its way to the correct place in the body, never getting lost in that very dark place, and always meeting with success.

But how can these cells, hormones and molecules effect such conscious actions? Could this consciousness be one of their innate properties? Certainly not! But knowledge and consciousness is certainly necessary to direct all these processes, to let cells know when and what to produce and to inform hormones and other molecules of the correct "address" and show them the way. The inspiration of this infinite knowledge, informing the cells, hormones and other molecules of their necessary actions, emanates from God.

It is He Who is God in heaven and God on earth.He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing.
(Qur'an, 43: 84)