The Cell _ A Poem

Yes, some people are amazed at the vastness of the universe, the countless galaxies around us, with a tiny glimpse seen in the night sky above us. The magnitude of the space, the time it took to create all of this, and the likelihood that it all originated from a single point and at a single moment of time. Yes, the universe is an amazing creation, and humbling to the insignificance of man.

But for me, what is more of an attraction is the world of biology. The world of the cell is astounding in that there are soooo many cells in just the human body. Cells make up each organ and the tissue in the body and are the basic functioning piece of the organ or tissue. The human body has approximately 250 trillion cells with approximately 35,000 chemical reactions taking place per second within each of these cells. Think of what this means – 250 trillion cells each having 35,000 chemical reactions per second. And all of this takes place in the great majority of us for decades. We all like a fast processor for our computers, right? How about something that is faster than the world's fastest supercomputer? Interpreting a DNA program and translating it through a code into a physical molecule, the cells collectively function at almost a thousand times the processing speed of IBM's Blue Gene/L state-of-the-art supercomputer. This information processing in one human body for just one function exceeds by some 25 percent the total computing power of all the world's 200 million personal computers produced every year. Vast numbers of cells, incredible speed, incredible efficiency, and it all works seamlessly, effortlessly, and yes, beautifully for the life of its host. I think the cell has to be the most amazing piece of God's Creation. So give me the cell over the universe when you want to be amazed by the power, beauty and creativity of God the Creator.

But because we can't see the cell, like we can see the universe, it is hard for us to grasp how big and vast the cell and its activities are. I have always thought that a good way to help with this problem is to use some kind of an analogy, although is there any way to compare something to the cell's DNA structure? But even with this shortcoming, here is a nice "poem" that tries to compare a cell and its activities to a city:

Imagine miniature cities aswarm with bustling centers of activity, factories, powerhouses, post offices, libraries, trash collection and recycling, quality control, railroads and architecture, import/export centers, communication networks, and transport vehicles.

These cities organize themselves from seed cities, according to a complex negotiation process that assigns them their duties and location.

Some cities specialize in manufacture and export, some in signal processing, some in reclamation or storage, some in warfare, and some preserve the heritage of the whole nation and pass it on.

Each city has no mayor or aldermen or police.

Its multitudinous minions are self-directed, self-replicating wonders and each city cooperates with its neighbors to maintain balance, order, and peaceful exchange for the good of the nation.

Some cities pick up and move, patrolling the highways, some stretch enormous distances to maintain communication, and some link shields to form the nation's boundaries.

Some denude themselves and serve the rest by carrying oxygen to all.

Some live to divide, some adopt a fixed identity and never reproduce again.

All are altruistic in their focus, unless the encoded information in the library becomes corrupted, or signals snarl and warp the message, turning self-sacrifice into the endless hunger, rampage and self-aggrandizement of cancer.

Truly we are fearfully and wonderfully made.