Have you ever thought about the function of the zipcode in the address you wrote when you needed to send a letter or a package?
Zipcodes are used to ensure that the mail we want to send is delivered to the right address in the shortest time possible and a similar version of this system is also inside our body.
So, how does this zipcode system, which has an important role in the development and maintenence of our bodies throughout our lives, function?
Cell Migration in Mother’s Womb
One of the questions that bother scientists who examine human development in the mother’s womb is how cells know where they should go during the growth process. For example, while the skin cells on our head know that they need to produce hair, the skin cells inside our palm know that they should never do this. When we look at this as a whole, our trillions of cells have very important tasks specific to themselves and when these cells carry out their specific duties, our healthy organs and bodies come into existence. The most striking thing is that all this data in our cells exist in every person without any mistake and in a flawless manner. So how do cells make this happen?
During development in the mother’s womb, every one of trillions of cells have to be placed precisely where it belongs. To do this, cells take an amazing trip from where they are formed to where they belong inside the embryo. This is called “cell migration.” During this trip, the correctness of the address is as important as timing. During this growth period in the mother’s womb, a tiny location mistake as small as one in one hundredth of a millimeter, or a timing mistake as little as one in one hundredth of a second; may cause all the organs to be placed in the wrong locations. However, the zipcode system works so perfectly that there is no mistake.
Special Data Placed in the DNA
Scientists have taken samples from 47 separate sections on the body of a test subject, for example from the skin on his face, arm and places where hair and nails come out, and in this way, they formed a model to understand how the cell “knows” its location. The results found by scientists, who compared the DNA of the skin samples they took with one another, were very surprising. This is because it was found that three gene sequences in the DNA, in which all data that belongs to the cell, were effective in address definition. These three gene sequences communicate to the cell;
- Whether it is above or below the body,
- Whether it is close to or away from the center of the body,
- Or whether it is on the surface of or deeper inside the body.
These three special areas on the DNA communicate the address of the cell’s location and destination using codes like the ZIP codes used in cities.
How Does the Zipcode System in the Cells Process?
One of the main zipcodes of the Bronx district of New York City is 10450. The numbers in this code have a specific meaning. The zipcode points to a specific area or neighborhood, and helps us find where the Bronx is in the United States in the fastest and most error-free way. The cells use exactly this system.
For example, the cells that form the hand know where they belong by means of the three special gene sequences inside the DNA. One of these three gene sequences communicate that the hand cell is on the upper part of the body, another gene seqeunce communicates that it is far from the center of the body and the last sequence communicates that it is not inside the body but on the surface. However, this system is of course far more complex and flawless than the zipcode system used in cities.This is because these three areas not only determine the cell’s location but also know which point of the finger it will form. Thus they ensure that they go to the right address to form a tiny tissue on that spot as small as pinhead.
So thanks to this special zipcode system, the organs in our body are formed in a flawless way and move in order to carry out their functions. However, in order to carry out such a production, the files (genes) in the DNA, which is the databank of the cell, must open when needed. Of course, it is clear that such a superior plan cannot be made by the cells and that the system is readily programmed in the cell. There is no doubt that the Owner of this programmed system in the cell is Almighty Allah, the Creator of all things. Our Lord reveals man’s creation in a very detailed way in the Qur’an:
“We created man from the purest kind of clay; then made him a drop in a secure receptacle; then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature. Blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!” (Surat al-Muminun, 12–14)
