THE MIRACLE OF DESIGN IN THE CELL

THE MIRACLE OF DESIGN IN THE CELL

In every part of our body there reigns a tiny yet complex life. An examination under the microscope into the depths of any human organ brings us face to face with an astounding miracle of creation: millions of tiny living things that have come together to make up that organ are engaged in arduous activity. These tiny beings are cells, the basic units of life. Not only man but also all other living things are composed of these microscopic living beings.

There are about 100 trillion cells in the human body. Some of these cells are so tiny that even 1 million of them together hardly cover a space as large as the pointed end of a pin. Despite this, however, the cell is by far the most complex structure mankind has ever encountered, as is also agreed by the scientific community. Containing many secrets hitherto undiscovered, the cell of a living thing also constitutes the greatest impasse for the theory of evolution. That is because the cell is one of the most striking pieces of evidence that human beings and all other living beings are not the products of coincidences, but are created by a Creator.

In order for the cell to survive, all the basic components of the cell, each performing many vital functions, have to be intact. If the cell came into existence by evolution, then millions of its components had to simultaneously exist in the same place and they had to come together in a particular order and plan. Since this is utterly implausible, such a structure has no explanation other than 'creation.' One of the leading evolutionists, Alexander Oparin, expressed the deadlock the theory of evolution encountered in this way:

Unfortunately, the origin of the cell remains a question which is actually the darkest point of the complete evolution theory.¹

Cells multiply by dividing. While the human body is initially composed of a single cell, this cell divides and reproduces by folds with a ratio of 2-4-8-16-32...

The English mathematician and astronomer Sir Fred Hoyle made a similar comparison in one of his interviews published in Nature magazine dated November 12, 1981. Although an evolutionist himself, Hoyle said that the odds that higher life forms might have emerged in this way was comparable to the odds of a tornado sweeping through a junk-yard assembling a Boeing 747 from the materials in it. This means that it is not possible for the cell to come into being by coincidence and therefore, it must definitely have been "created".

Despite this however, evolutionists still claim that life came into existence by chance under the conditions of the primordial earth, which was the most uncontrolled environment possible. This is a claim entirely incompatible with scientific data. In addition, even the simplest probability calculations verify in mathematical terms that not even one single protein out of millions existing in the cell could have come into being by coincidence, let alone a single cell of an organism.

To gain some understanding of the awe-inspiring structure of the cell, it will be enough to examine just the structure and functions of the membrane enveloping these cellular organelles.

The cell membrane is an ambient cover for the cell, yet its duty is not limited to it. This membrane both regulates communications and relations with neighbouring cells and deftly coordinates and supervises the entries and exits to the cell.

The cell membrane is so thin, at just one hundred thousandth of a millimetre, that one can detect it only under an electron microscope. The membrane resembles a double-sided endless wall. On this wall, there are doors making entry to and exit from the cell possible and receptors allowing the membrane to recognise the extracellular environment. These doors and receptors are made of protein molecules. They are located on the cell wall and meticulously check all the entries and exits to the cell.

What are the accomplishments of this thin structure made up of unconscious molecules such as fat and protein? That is, which features of the membrane lead us to call it 'conscious' and 'wise'?

The primary duty of the cell membrane is to enclose the cellular organelles so as to keep them intact. However, it has a far more complex function than this. It supplies the substances vital for the continuity of the cell and its functions from the extracellular environment. Outside the cell, there are countless chemical substances. The cell membrane recognises the substances essential for the cell and only lets them in. It acts very economically and never allows in more than what the cell needs. Meanwhile, it detects harmful wastes in the cell right away and, without losing any time, discharges them from the cell.

Another function of the cell membrane is to instantly transmit the messages, which are received from the brain or any other part of the body via hormones, to the center of the cell. To perform these functions, it has to know all the activities and developments taking place in the cell, keep a list of required or excess substances, keep stocks under control and act under the guidance of a superior memory and decision-making skills.

The cell membrane is so selective that without its authorization, not even a single substance in the extracellullar environment can pass through the cell doors, even by chance. There is not even a single unnecessary, purposeless molecule in the cell. Exits from the cell are also strictly checked. The duty of the cell membrane is vital and it does not permit even minor errors. The entry of a wrong or harmful chemical substance into the cell, the supply or discharge of a substance in excess amounts or failure to discharge waste products on time, or as required, mean the death of the cell.

If the first living cell had come into existence by coincidence as evolutionists claim, and if just one of these properties of the membrane had not been fully formed, then the cell would certainly have disappeared in a very short time.

Which 'coincidence', then, formed such a 'wise' mass of fat?...

Let's ask another question, which by itself refutes the theory of evolution straight away; does the 'wisdom' displayed in the aforementioned functions belong to the cell membrane?

Keep in mind that these functions are not carried out by a human being or a machine such as a computer or robot under man's control, but are merely in a cover enclosing the cell, which is made up of fat mixed here and there with various proteins. We also need to consider that the cell membrane, which can handle so many complex tasks flawlessly, has no brain or center of thinking.

It is obvious that such wise patterns of behaviour and a conscious decision-making mechanism could not have been caused by the cell membrane itself, which is a layer made up of fat and protein molecules. This also holds true for all other cellular organelles. These organelles do not even have a nervous system, let alone a brain to think and make decisions with. Despite this, however, they accomplish incredibly complex tasks, make precise calculations and take vital decisions. That is because each one of them obeys the orders of Allah, Who created them flawlessly and sustains them. In the 12th verse of Surat at-Talaq, the fact that everything acts in compliance with the command of Allah is stated:

It is Allah Who has created seven heavens, and earth as many. His commandment descends through them, so that you may learn that Allah has power over all things and that Allah encompasses all things with His knowledge. (Surat at-Talaq: 12)

1 Alexander I. Oparin, Origin of Life, (1936) NewYork: Dover Publications, 1953 (Reprint), p.196.