THE OIL REFINERY IN OUR BODIES

The energy you require to arise from where you are and start walking, to breathe, to open and close your eyes—in short, the energy you need to be alive is made in powerhouses inside your cells, called mitochondria. When we examine the processes carried out in the mitochondria, it becomes clear why comparing them to a powerhouse is no exaggeration.

In the production of energy in the cell, oxygen plays the main role. Oxygen has plenty of helpers. At practically all stages of the production of energy, different enzymes play their part. At any particular step of this process, enzymes that have completed their duty "change shifts" with other enzymes coming into action for the next step. This is done in a most conscious manner, and in this way, the energy stored in foods is converted into a form useful to the cell, as the result of endless chemical reactions, many minor processes, and hundreds of different enzymes going into action. In all of this changing of enzymes, there is not the slightest confusion, nor any mixing up of the order. All the "workers" carry out their duty as if they were part of a well-disciplined team.

And so, it can be said that the energy powerhouse located in a cell, only one hundredth of a millimeter in size, is much more complex than any oil refinery or hydroelectric plant.

The mitochondrion, made up of proteins found in the cell, works just like an electrical power station to generate the energy the cell needs.

An oil refinery is built and run by engineers aware of what petroleum is, who have analyzed crude oil in the laboratory, and who act in the light of this technical information. It would be impossible for anyone ignorant of what petroleum is to build a refinery.

In the same way, knowledge is required to produce energy in a cell which is much more complex than an oil refinery. It's obviously ridiculous to suggest that a cell has the ability to learn. But then how do cells bring about this production?

The truth is, no cell has the opportunity to "learn" any biological process, in its literal sense. If the cell couldn't carry out this process when it first appeared, then it would have no chance of acquiring the necessary skills later on—simply because oxygen, which plays such a central role in energy production, has a destructive effect on the cell. The cell had to have appeared together with this defensive property. This is only one of many proofs that cells didn't appear as the result of any coincidence, but were created by God in one instant.

With this artistry, displayed in an area one-hundredth the size of a millimeter, God shows us the limitlessness to His power.

THE ENERGY OF LIFE IN YOUR CELLS: THE ATP MOLECULE

Energy we obtain from food cannot be used directly by our cells in carrying out the processes required for their continued existence. First the energy is packaged into a special molecule called adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. Later on, it's used to carry out all the manufacture and transferals taking place in the cell.

The body uses 48 kilograms of ATP a day. But amazingly enough, at any one point during the day, the amount of ATP in the body never exceeds one gram. The reason for this is that ATP is not stored, but rather is prepared in special packets for immediate use. Never forget that the cell's life depends upon this energy. For this reason, the production of ATP must occur very quickly. And so, at every second, each of your approximately 100 trillion cells consumes and regenerates ten million molecules of ATP.

How is this speed maintained?

Whenever a cell needs energy, the end phosphate linkage of the ATP molecule's three phosphate groups is broken; that is, the packet of energy is opened. With the breakage of one phosphate linkage, the subsequent release of energy lets the cell carry out its functions with ease. And this amazing process continues with amazing speed and without fail.

Without doubt, it's impossible for a molecule made up of atoms to determine a cell's energy requirements and then produce the appropriate energy. That this production is carried out in a most efficient way and with the most appropriate packaging system cannot be the product of coincidence. The Creator of the cell and of every action and process of the molecules within the cell is God; it is He Who put the ATP molecule at the service of living things in such a perfect manner.

WHO MANAGES HEAVY TRAFFIC IN THE CELL?

The cell's organization is much more complex and successful than any human fabrication. In a protein produced in the cell, steps take place that are involved in the manufacture of products in a factory and their subsequent delivery to where they're needed.  The Golgi body, found in all cells, plays an important role in packaging newly synthesized proteins and differentiating and selecting between different types of protein. The various proteins found in various sections of the cell are synthesized in another part of the cell called the endoplasmic reticulum, or ER. Minutes after the proteins are synthesized, they move quickly out of the ER and towards the Golgi body. There are many important reasons why they undergo various changes in the Golgi body after being made. For example, to some of them are attached carbohydrate groups, to others sulphate or phosphate groups, and to still others, fatty acids. These modifications vary according to a protein's type and where it is to wind up. The Golgi body purifies these proteins and separates and packages them, according to their type and destination. It also produces the packages according to the type of cell where the proteins are destined to go. In order for the biochemical activity of the thousands of proteins synthesized in the ER not to become mixed up, however, these processes must be carried out with great sensitivity, and each protein must be directed towards its destination. The tiny organelle known as the Golgi body organizes this traffic. It displays great awareness in every process it carries out. It recognizes the proteins that come to it, separates them, determines their needs, carries out its production according to their needs, identifies their function, packages them, and organizes this traffic flow without any confusion. The One Who inspired the cell and the organelles within it, with the ability to decide and apply the knowledge is the Lord of the worlds—that is, God. Those who find themselves awestruck in the face of these cellular miracles and who witness God's superior knowledge can only be shocked at the evolutionists' claims that all this came to be as a result of coincidence. He created the heavens and the Earth with truth and formed you, giving you the best of forms. And He is your final destination. (Qur'an, 64: 3)

THE LIVER AS A GIANT LABORATORY

No one could claim that a fully equipped laboratory, fitted out with the latest technology could come about by itself, by chance. But evolutionists claim that the liver's unparalleled laboratory complex arose by itself, advocating this claim with no proof at all. This is because Darwinism is a superstitious belief system, a spell that blinds one's mind.

Five hundred separate processes take place in just one cell of the liver. Most of these (which take place faultlessly in milliseconds, that is, thousandths of a second) still have not been reproduced under laboratory conditions. Liver cells convert the food we eat into stored energy, that is glycogen, which the liver stores and converts to glucose as needed by the body to satisfy its energy needs.

In short, even while we eat all manner of food we like, the liver uses, converts or stores this food's energy according to our body's needs. And from the first human until today, trillions of liver cells have acted with exactly the same consciousness and knowledge, with no confusion.

CELLS THAT COMMIT SUICIDE TO KEEP THE BODY FROM HARM

Many cells produce a series of proteins in order to destroy themselves when they become superfluous, defective or diseased. However, so long as a cell is beneficial to the body, these proteins are obstructed from doing their deadly duty. If the cell becomes diseased, turns renegade or cancerous, or begins to threaten the health of the organism, the fatal proteins are released and activated to kill off the offending cell.

The cell's ability to make the right decision at the right time and place is very important. In the event that it can't, that is, when the killer proteins are activated in a healthy cell, then healthy tissue will die, and the result will be death of the whole organism. But if the harmful or diseased cells are allowed to survive, then the organism may die too.

A cell that has "decided" to commit suicide and activated its killer protein, first shrinks and pulls away from its neighbors. Soon blebs appear on its surface, and it appears to boil. Then its nucleus and finally, the cell itself break apart. Other surrounding cells immediately ingest its remaining fragments.

A more interesting event is that the other living cells do not clean up all the dead ones. Some are deliberately left alone, because they have not yet completed their duties. For example, tissues such as the lens of the eye, the surface of the skin, and the nails are all composed of dead cells. But because the body has need of them, they are not destroyed. The important fact that trillions of cells in the body all make decisions about which dead cells to destroy and which to leave alone is a point worth reflecting on.

What gives the cell consciousness to make and apply such vital decisions? Who taught the cell to recognize conditions that bring harm to the larger organism it finds itself in? And Who inspires this microscopic life form to ward off harm?

As has been explained here, all cells have been programmed in the best fashion to let organisms continue their existence. But in that case, Who is the Master of that program?

Evolutionists have become blind enough to believe that the master of this extraordinary program is unconscious coincidence. But God's unique creation and infinite knowledge are clearly manifested in every detail of a living organism.

BACTERIA-DESTROYING MACHINES IN THE LIVER

In a very short time, special Kupffer cells in the liver neutralize bacteria arriving from the small intestine.

Bacteria that we cannot see enter our bodies through the food we eat, via the air we breathe, or by any number of other ways. Harmful bacteria must be neutralized before they upset the workings of the body. For this reason, certain cells in the body, whose sole duty is defense, have been endowed with perfect memory. However, as an example of the body's faultless design, many additional defense measures have been set up. One line of defense is provided by certain cells found in the liver—a strategic point in the circulatory system.

In less than 0.01 of a second, the so-called Kupffer cells digest and neutralize any harmful bacteria that pass through the bloodstream from the small intestine to the liver. Out of all of the countless bacteria that enter the body, how can these unthinking cells distinguish those that can cause harm from those that are beneficial? How can these cells destroy some bacteria, but leave others untouched—without knowing the bacteria's characteristics or what they will do, once inside the body?

At this point, another important fact requires consideration: that Kupffer cells are found in the liver. But why the liver, and not any other organ? Here is still another proof of our bodies' perfect creation. Had these cells been placed in any other organ in the body except the liver, the cleansing of the blood from bacteria wouldn't have been as effective.

Because after being cleansed in the liver, the blood then enters the general circulatory system, to circulate throughout the entire body. And so, fewer than one in a hundred bacteria ever succeed in reaching the general circulation. What sort of blind coincidence could have ensured the placement of Kupffer cells in the liver, out of all the organs in the body?

The cells themselves can't determine the most appropriate place for them to go, much less set about going there. The body is composed of approximately 100 trillion cells, and it's not possible for any one of them to possess consciousness enough to determine a spot for itself and travel to settle there.

Such a faultless plan requires the existence of a superior mind, one that belongs to the One Who knows every inch of our body and Who created us from nothing in the most appropriate of designs—that is, God.

YOU ARE NEVER IN CONTROL OF YOUR BREATH, BECAUSE SOME OF YOUR CELLS CONTROL IT FOR YOU

If regulation of our breathing were left up to us we would probably die of asphyxiation from forgetting to breathe, falling asleep or being preoccupied with other activities.

For every human being, this crucial process is regulated by the respiratory center, which is the size of a lentil bean and is located in the brain stem (an extension of the brain). It is made up of three different groups of neurons.

The first group determines the basic rhythm of breathing and gives the lungs and the chest the signal to inhale air. In this way, we breathe in the air we need.

The second group of cells determines the speed and pattern of our breathing. When this second group comes into play, however, the cells signal to the first group to halt their activity. This controls the air capacity of our lungs, and our breathing speeds up.

The third group, on the other hand, is not normally active. They come into play when a high rate of breathing is needed and they ensure that the abdominal muscles participate by sending them signals.

Is all of this enough to keep us alive? No.

Respiration is also controlled chemically. Breathing's aim is to maintain the correct balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in our blood. Any change in this balance activates a group of cells in the respiratory center, bringing the levels back to normal with very sensitive adjustments. 

But the amount of oxygen in the blood has no direct effect on the respiratory center. In that case, how does the respiratory center become aware of the change in oxygen level in the blood?

At this point, another group of cells comes into action, displaying a miraculous consciousness. In large veins outside of the brain, such as the jugular, highly sensitive receptors send signals to the respiratory center when the blood oxygen level falls below a certain level. In this way, respiration is regulated with very finely tuned adjustments.

How can a group of cells know how much oxygen is needed for the body to stay alive?

How can these cells have used such a mechanism, which has been in place from the first human until now, when only in the last 20 years has science discovered this mechanism?

Moreover, this mechanism is so sensitive that for the entire duration of our lives, no mistake is ever made when sitting, running or sleeping. It ensures that at every second, vital oxygen is carried to the 100 trillion other cells in our body, and that harmful waste products like carbon dioxide and hydrogen ions are speedily removed.

Even though they know the truth, some scientists, fanatically committed to the theory of evolution because of their obsession with materialism, claim that this perfection came about as a result of blind coincidence. Whereas the Creator of this perfect order is clearly the Possessor of infinite intelligence—that is, God.