7 1/2 minute read plus 4 videos
Diving Deeper To See The Hand Of God
You may be wondering, “Why did we shift gears and start looking at cells?” That’s a reasonable question. The answer is, as we’ll soon see, every cell in every living organism is incredibly fine tuned and, similar to what we saw in God Created The Universe, it’s that fine tuning that proves God created life.
It’s likely you’re not a biologist so it’s equally likely that you only have passing interest in cellular biology. However, as you heard from Dr. Tour in the previous article, Beginning To See The Hand Of God In The Origin Of Life, an explanation for how life was created must explain how the cell and all its functions were created. In the next few articles, we’ll dive more deeply into how cells function paying particular attention to one of its most important components, the protein. Because few of us are biologists, we’ll go slowly and stay away from excessive scientific jargon. Fortunately, some very brilliant scientists have spent considerable time presenting the science in a manner that’s easier for the lay person to understand and absorb. Also, it’s fortunate for us that those same scientists have helped create simplified yet scientifically accurate illustrations so you can see how things work with your own eyes. Take the time to watch some of these videos because they are both very helpful and really cool.
We’ll Start With A Closer Look At Proteins And Their Importance Within A Cell
We often talk about needing protein as part of a well balanced diet but what are proteins, really? What do they do and why do we need them? Ever thought about those questions?
As it turns out, proteins are incredibly important microscopic components in every cell in every living organism. In fact, proteins perform most of the important functions within a cell. It’s safe to say that without them performing those functions there’d be no life as we know it.
Each cell contains several thousand different proteins that perform a wide variety of functions. Some fight infections, some enable key chemical reactions, some create the cell structure itself, and so on. In the 2nd video of Beginning To See The Hand Of God In The Origin Of Life you were introduced to the protein. Now let’s take a closer look and get a better handle on their role.
Watch this excellent 3 minute video from Illustra Media so you can get a more complete mental image. You’ll also get to see more cool molecular machines. We’ll talk more about those later. As with other deep dive videos here, don’t get too wrapped up in the jargon; focus on the core concepts.
Key Conclusions From The Video
- Microscopic machines within the cell are lifeless but support cell growth, movement, metabolism and reproduction
- Proteins are numerous and come together as micromachines to perform diverse functions including unwinding DNA, copying genetic information, controling everything that passes thru the cell membrane, towing components along microtubules, creating and destroying those microtubules and carrying oxygen
- They also come together as enzymes used to trigger needed chemical reactions
More Key Conclusions From The Video
- Proteins are built from combinations of amino acids
- 20 amino acids can be used to create 100,000 different proteins
- Amino acids are arranged into chains like letters are arranged into words and sentences
- The amino acid chain is then folded into a very specific 3 dimensional shape
- The protein’s function is based both on the amino acids included in it as well as its very specific 3 dimensional shape
- Amino acids arranged in the wrong order won’t fold properly and so that chain is eventually destroyed
- The simplest cell contains 300 different proteins enabling it to grow, process energy, process genetic information, reproduce and protect itself from contamination
- A red blood cell contains 280 million hemoglobin proteins
Diving Into The Protein For Facts And Evidence
As you can see, the protein is critical to the proper functioning of every living cell in every organism. Let’s dive in further and watch one set of proteins embedded in a series of micro machines deconstruct a portion of DNA to create a new protein. We doing this deeper dive because, as you’ll soon see, it will form the foundation for a key set of facts and evidence that help prove God created life.
Watch this amazing 4 1/2 minute video from Illustra Media on the process used within a cell to create a new protein from a strip of information stored in DNA. It’s really cool – largely because it involves such sophisticated micro machines. Again, don’t get too wrapped up in the jargon.
While watching the video, consider just these initial questions:
- How does the 1st micro machine know what portion of the impossibly long DNA strand to process? How does it know which proteins are needed?
- Recall that the machine is not alive. It’s just a bunch of chemicals
- How does the 2nd machine know where to start and stop on the DNA strand to create the protein?
- As it turns out, there are start and stop markers on the DNA. Wait, what? Start and stop markers on the impossibly long DNA strand? Where did those come from?
Conclusions From The Video
- DNA contains instructions for building every protein in an organism
- One micro machine unwinds the DNA molecule and splits it open while another one creates a copy of a select portion
- The copied strip moves out of the nucleus and into the rest of the cell where another machine takes free floating amino acid components and builds a precise string of the proper amino acids
- The string can contain hundreds of amino acids, the sequence of which helps determine its function
- The amino acid string is moved to yet another machine where it is folded into the precise 3 dimensional shape critical for its function
- Finally, the 5th machine takes the new protein to the location in the cell where its needed
- This is very compelling evidence of design and fine tuning
Here’s a different 2 minute video illustration of the protein creation process – for a different perspective. Notice the introduction of a 6th set of machines that “chaparone” the amino acid string to the machine that folds in into the proper 3 dimensional shape (chaparonin). How do the “chaparone” machines know to how to move the string, without breaking it, to the proper folding machine? And why does it do that? Just amazing!
And here’s a 3rd 2 1/2 minute video illustration of the process with a more clear description of the initial stages of the process, including more on how the amino acid string is created, leading up to the folding part. Good complementary info here.
More Questions…
- How do those three nucleotides attach to the right amino acid and then wonder around in the cell and just happen to be in the right place at the right time to be pulled into the ribosome machine to get matched with the corresponding exact right set of three nucleotides on the messenger RNA string in order to create the exact right sequence of amino acids?
- Remember, these are just chemicals
- How do six complex micro machines, operating at a microscopic level, know what to do, when and where – all in the proper sequence – to take the protein through the various steps of its manufacturing process?
As mentioned toward the end of the 2nd video, this amazing process is incredibly fine tuned to support life. And, similar to what we saw at the universe level in the God Created The Universe material, this degree of inexplicable fine tuning at this microscopic level is evidence of design by God. But so far it’s just evidence. Let’s go one more level deeper to see the actual proof that God created the protein and its manufacturing process because it’s impossible for them to have been created by random chance.
Conclusion
- Proteins are incredibly important microscopic components in every cell in every living organism that perform most of the important functions within the cell
- Each cell contains several thousand different proteins that perform a wide variety of functions including fighting infections, enabling key chemical reactions, creating the cell structure and more
- Proteins are built from combinations of 20 amino acids and used to create 100,000 different proteins
- Amino acids are arranged into chains like letters are arranged into words and sentences and then folded into a very specific 3 dimensional shape
- The protein’s function is determined by the amino acids in the chain along with its 3 dimensional shape
- The simplest cell contains 300 different proteins
- Six micro machines are used in the process of creating a new protein
- One unwinds the DNA molecule and splits it open
- A second creates a copy of a select portion
- A third takes free floating amino acid components and builds a precise chain of the proper amino acids
- A fourth “chaperones” the amino acid chain to the 5th (folding) machine
- A fifth folds the chain into the precise 3 dimensional shape required for its function
- The sixth machine takes the new protein to the location in the cell where its needed
- The chain can contain hundreds of amino acids, the sequence of which helps determine its function
- How do six complex micro machines, operating at a microscopic level, know what to do, when and where – all in the proper sequence – to take the protein through the the complex steps of its manufacturing process?
- This process is incredibly fine tuned to support life, is very compelling evidence for design and is evidence of design by God