LIFE LESSONS FROM CELL BIOLOGY
As zoology students, we learn many life lessons from cell biology, particularly in the chemical reactions that take place within a cell. It is not only the biological activity or chemistry of life that we learn. The cell, being the tiniest structure, offers many lessons, including leadership, unity, security, division of labour, and many more.
The cell is a structural and functional unit of life in which all chemical reactions in our body take place. With these reactions and functions of the cell, humans have created transportation machines, robotic machines, and many electronic machines. Do you understand that the series of films you are watching is all the output of the cell?
If we follow the lessons from cell biology, we will live our lives the way Almighty Allah wants us to. So to say; In everything, there is a sign indicating that Allah is one.
Without wasting our time, which is always ticking (clocking), let us move directly to some lessons.
Let us take the nucleus, which is like the leader of all organelles. As a leader, it provides other organelles with ribosomes that synthesize protein and sends them to the various organelles. Each organelle will accept and use these ribosomes in a perfect way to make the leader as well as the environment safe and happy.
The leader, or nucleus, provides the organelles with all the materials they need. Therefore, in return, each organelle tries its best to defend the entire cell and make it as good as possible. It is fascinating to imagine that free ribosomes are circulating or to-ing and fro-ing inside the cell, synthesizing proteins needed from the extracellular fluid (ECF) which is outside of the cell.
Meanwhile, ribosomes divide themselves into two. Some are bound to certain organelles and synthesize proteins for intercellular activity, while others (free ribosomes) synthesize proteins for extracellular activities. This process highlights the complexity and precision of the cell's functions and demonstrates the remarkable ability of the cell to adapt to its environment. Such scientific knowledge allows us to better understand and appreciate the intricacies of life at the cellular level.
Main lesson.
The greater the carefulness, hard work, and standing of the leader, the greater the carefulness, hard work, and obedience of the followers.
The cell has a membrane that is a bilayer (double layer) of phospholipids. Each layer consists of hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails. Since it is a double layer, the head of the first layer faces outward, i.e., the extracellular fluid, while the head of the second layer faces the inner part of the cell (intercellular), with the tails remaining in the middle. This structure enables the cell to stay perfectly in its surrounding. The nutrients and molecules the cell needs, which are found in water, can easily go directly to the cell. Meanwhile, the hydrophobic tails will repel water, preventing it from entering the cell, because it could cause harm to the inner part of the cell, for a limited amount of water is needed in and out of the cell.
When you have valuable things freely available in your house, would you let people enter it anytime, anyhow? This bilayer of phospholipids is not at rest, but to make itself more active and to promote security, it is always swimming and moving, which is why scientists call it a fluid-mosaic.
Various proteins are attached to this membrane, which serves as a way for some materials to pass in and out of the cell. Surprisingly, even the smallest molecules can pass through the membrane by simple diffusion, It's like in Hausaland, where small boys within their area can enter any house they like, while adults need to seek permission.
Some molecules cannot enter freely by simple diffusion unless they seek help from certain proteins. These proteins are carrier proteins that carry the molecules in or out of the cell (facilitate). Some scientists call these proteins transmembrane proteins because they connect the intercellular and extracellular spaces.
There are ion molecules that undergo two types of transport: passive transport, when they move with the concentration gradient, and active transport when they move across the concentration gradient. Active transport requires energy, while passive transport does not require it.
Have you ever ridden a bicycle? If yes, please remember the energy you used when trying to go up the hill and the energy you used when trying to come down from the hill. Which one required more energy?
Main lesson.
To save the life of your people (children, siblings and others belonging to you) you have to concentrate on the people around them...
To protect your house, town or country at large, you must control what is going in and out.
As we are talking about plasma membranes we need to know the types of membranes which include Impermeable membranes, Permeable, Semi-Permeable and Selectively permeable... As a student, you have to differentiate between them.
To make the movement in and out of the cell easier and to make every possible effort to protect the cell, these proteins distribute the work between them.
To make the movement in and out of the cell easier and to make every possible effort to protect the cell, these proteins distribute the work between them.
Aquaporin proteins move water, ion channel proteins move ions with an amazing helping hand of ATP and ADP (Adenosine triphosphate and diphosphate).
Carrier proteins are capable of changing their shape; for example, when trying to take in glucose, they change their shape to a more suitable shape, and surprisingly, when they pass the glucose, they then turn back to their normal shape. Subhanallah.
Glycoproteins are active for cell recognition; therefore, like the way you recognize your classmates, the cell recognizes its workmates. Scaffold proteins say, "Let the rest do the work, and we'll protect the cell structure." Finally (to my knowledge), we have receptor proteins that control chemical signalling. Site receptors contain specific cell identification markers that differentiate one cell type from another.
From here, we will understand that the cell, being the tiniest structure, is more complicated than an aeroplane, thanks to Allah. The human body consists of over 100 trillion cells, and each second (one tick of your clock), trillions of chemical reactions occur in just one cell. Allah is the Greatest!
Among the organelles, we have the Endoplasmic Reticulum, which comes in two types. The Granular or Rough ER has ribosomes attached to it and synthesizes glycoproteins and phospholipids that are transferred intercellularly to other cellular organelles. The Agranular or Smooth ER has no ribosomes attached to it and synthesizes fatty acids and steroids. In the liver, it also helps release glucose into the bloodstream. Look at the way cells distribute work; anytime it seems complicated. An adage says, "Many hands make light work," meaning the greater the number of hands in certain work, the lighter the work will be.
After all this, the product of the Endoplasmic Reticulum and certain proteins are transferred to the Golgi Apparatus, which changes the fats and proteins, packages them into vesicles, and ships them out of the cell to the Extracellular Fluid. Can you believe that the cell knows how to ship materials from one place to another? Subhanallah.
The Golgi also produces lysosomes, which are regarded as the recycling centre of the cell. Lysosomes act as security, destroying dangerous bacteria, viruses, and inactivating pathogens. According to its law, old cells are liabilities, and some terrorists may use them. Therefore, lysosomes destroy old or ageing cells. When some particle in the cell refuses to dissolve, showing an act of toughness, lysosomes will say, "Let me show them that toughness has its limit."
Do you ever read something about apoptosis? What do you know about it?
It's how babies develop fingers and toes, and how tadpoles lose their tails.
"Do you know that about two million new red blood cells are produced every second in the human adult body? Are you an adult? Remember, even if you pay for all that you possess, nobody can produce even one red blood cell for you. But Allah Almighty produces two million per second for you. Allah loves you, my dear readers. Astagfirullah.
We will stop here. Remember, there are many untouchable organelles in this basic short article, such as anucleated cells, mitochondria, chloroplasts, nucleoli, centrioles, chromosomes, many types of cells, and many more. Trying to write about them will make this article bulky, or even a weighty book, or rather a voluminous one.
Finally, I believe that "in everything, there is a sign that shows Allah is One."
Alhamdulillah
Naseeb Auwal
Abu Umar Alkanawy
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