Antibodies are protein-structured weapons, which are manufactured to fight against the foreign cells entering the human body. These weapons are produced by the B cells, a class of warriors of the immune system.
Antibodies destroy invaders. They have two main functions: The first is to bind to the invader cell, which is the antigen. The second is to decompose the biological structure of the antigen and destroy it.
Swimming in the blood and non-cellular fluid, antibodies bind to disease-causing bacteria and viruses. They mark the foreign molecules to which they bind, so that the body’s fighter cells can distinguish them. This way, they also inactivate them. This resembles a tank becoming useless and unable to move or fire shells when it is hit by a guided missile in the battleground. An antibody fits the enemy (antigen) perfectly, just like a key and a lock assembling in a three-dimensional structure.
The human body can produce a compatible antibody for almost every enemy it encounters. Antibodies are not of one type only. According to the structure of every enemy, a specific antibody powerful enough to deal with it is produced. This is because an antibody produced for one disease may not be effective on another.
Manufacturing a specific antibody for each enemy is rather an unusual process, which deserves closer attention. This process can be realized only if the B cells know their enemies and their structures very well. There are, however, millions of enemies (antigens) in nature.
This is like manufacturing a compatible key for each of millions of locks straight away. What is important is that the manufacturing agent does this without examining the lock or using any mould. It knows the formula by heart.
It is quite difficult for a human being to memorize the shape of even a single key. So, is it possible for a person to keep in mind the three-dimensional designs of millions of keys that are to open millions of locks?
Definitely not. However, a B cell so small as to be imperceptible by the eye keeps millions of bits of information in its memory, and uses them in correct combinations in a conscious way.
The storage of millions of formulae in a miniscule cell is a great miracle presented to man. No less miraculous is the cell’s using this information to protect man’s health.
It is obvious that the secret of the tremendous success of these tiny cells is beyond the boundaries of human’s comprehension. Today, the power of the human mind even combined with advanced technology pales into insignificance in the face of the intelligence displayed by these cells. In fact, even evolutionist scientists cannot close their eyes to all these signs of intelligence, which are clear evidence of the existence of a conscious Creator. One of the greatest advocators of evolution in Turkey, Prof. Dr. Ali Demirsoy, confessed this in his book "Inheritance and Evolution":
How and in what form did plasma cells obtain this information, and produce the antibody exclusively designed according to it? This question has not been answered precisely so far. 3
As confessed by the evolutionist scientist above, how antibodies are produced is a point that has not been clearly understood as yet. The technology of the 20 th century has proved insufficient even at the level of understanding the methods of this perfect production. In the years to come, as the methods used by these tiny cells — which are created to serve mankind — and how they implement them are unraveled, the perfection and artistry in the creation of these cells will be better understood.
We have previously stated that antibodies are a type of protein. So, let us first examine the structure of proteins.
Proteins are made up of amino acids. Twenty different types of amino acids are arranged in different sequences to form different proteins. This is similar to making different necklaces by using beads in twenty different colours. The main differences among proteins are due to the sequence of these amino acids.
Yet there is an important point to remember: Any error in the amino acid sequence makes the protein useless, and even harmful. Therefore, there is no room for even the smallest error in the sequence.
So, how do the protein factories in the cell know in which sequence to arrange the amino acids they contain, and which protein to produce? The instructions for each of the thousands of different types of proteins are encoded in the genes found in the genetic data bank in the cell nucleus.
Therefore, these genes are required for the production of the antibodies which are a type of protein. There will be need for
There is a very important miracle here. There are only one hundred thousand genes in the human body compared to the 1.920.000 antibodies that are produced. This means that nine hundred thousand genes are missing.
Then how is it ever possible that such a small number of genes can produce antibodies about ten times their value? The miracle is revealed at this point. The cell combines the hundred thousand genes it contains in different combinations to form new antibodies. It receives the information from some genes and combines it with the information in other genes and makes the required production according to this combined information.
1,920,000 different antibodies are formed as a result of 5,200 different combinations. 4 This process represents a wisdom and planning that are too great for the human mind to comprehend, let alone design.
An unlimited number of combinations can be made with the use of one hundred thousand genes. The cell, however, uses, with great intelligence, only 5,200 basic combinations and produces 1,920,000 specific antibodies. How has the cell learned to make the right combinations out of these unlimited possibilities to form the required antibodies?
1. Antibodies | 6. B Cell | 10. Activated B-Cells |
An individual B cell makes copies of its own specific antibody and attaches them to the outer surface of its cell membrane. The antibodies extend outward like minute, highly tuned aerials waiting for contact with the specific bit of protein that they can recognize. An antibody is made of two light and two heavy chains of amino acids held together in a Y shape. The constant regions of chains are the same in many different types of antibodies. But the variable regions - the tips of the arms - each have a uniquely shaped cavity that fits exactly onto the shape of the antibody's "chosen" protein fragment |
Making the correct combinations out of an infinite number of possibilities aside, how has the cell got this idea of making combinations?
Moreover, the produced combinations serve a certain purpose, and aim to produce an antibody that would eliminate the antigen that enters the body. Therefore, the cell also knows the properties of the millions of antigens entering the body.
No intellect in this world can produce a design of such unparalleled perfection. But cells only the size of a hundredth of a millimeter can do so.
So, how has the cell learned such a special system?
The truth is that no cell has the opportunity to "learn" a biological function in the real sense. This is because the cell does not possess the ability to perform such an act at birth, nor has it the chance to develop the required skill during the rest of its lifetime. In such cases, it is a prerequisite that the system in the cell should be ready and complete at the beginning of life. The cell neither possesses the skill to learn such combinations, nor does it have the time to learn them, as this would cause it to fail in stopping the antigens entering the body and the body would lose the war.
The fact that a system that baffles mankind, even at the point of comprehending it, has been placed in a cell which has no ability to think and reason, has a very special meaning. This is the reflection of the uniqueness of the creation of Allah, the All-Knowing, in a tiny cell. In the Qur’an, it is stated that Allah’s superior wisdom encompasses everything:
...They cannot grasp any of His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens and the earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High, the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara: 255)
If you were to design an antibody molecule, how would you do it? You would first have to carry out comprehensive research before deciding on the shape of the molecule. Surely you could not shape it randomly without an exact knowledge of its duty. Since the antibodies you are going to produce will make contact with antigens, you would have to be very well informed about the structure and specifications of the antigen, too.
Eventually, the antibody you will produce has to have a special and unique shape at one end. Only then can it bind to an antigen. The other end of it has to be similar to other antibodies. This is the only way the antigen destructing mechanism can be activated. As a result, one end has to be standard, while the other has to be different from the others (which come in more than one million different types).
Human beings, however, have been unable to design an antibody, despite all the technology at their disposal. The antibodies produced in the laboratory environment are either derived from antibody samples taken from the human body, or the bodies of other living beings.
We earlier stated that antibodies are a type of protein. These proteins, functioning in the defence of the body within the immune operation, are called "immune globulin" (a type of protein) and designated as "Ig".
The most characteristic proteins of the defence system, the immune globulin molecules bind to the antigens to inform other immune cells of the existence of the antigen or to start the destructive chain reactions of the war.
IgG (Immune Globulin G): IgG is the most common antibody. Its development takes only a few days, while its life span ranges from a few weeks to several years. IgGs circulate in the body and are mainly present in the blood, lymphatic system, and intestine. They circulate in the bloodstream, directly target the invader, and latch on to it as soon as they detect it. They have a strong antibacterial and antigen-destroying effect. They protect the body against bacteria and viruses, and neutralize the acidic property of toxins (poisons).
Additionally, the IgG may squeeze itself between cells, and eliminate the bacteria and micro-organic invaders that have infiltrated to the cells and the skin. Due their above-mentioned ability and small size, they can enter the placenta of a pregnant woman and protect an undefended foetus against possible infections.
If antibodies were not created with this characteristic which permits them to penetrate the placenta, the unborn child in the mother’s womb would be unprotected against microbes. It would be under the threat of death even before it was born. For this reason, the antibodies of the mother protect the embryo against the enemies until the time of birth.
IgA (Immune Globulin A): These antibodies are present in sensitive regions where the body fights with antigens such as in tears, saliva, mother’s milk, blood, air sacs, mucus, gastric and intestinal secretions. The sensitivity of those regions relates directly to the tendency of bacteria and viruses to prefer such damp mediums.
IgAs, which are structurally quite similar to each other, settle in those regions of the body where microbes are most likely to enter, and they keep this area under control. This is like placing reliable soldiers on guard at strategically critical points.
The antibodies, which protect the foetus from various diseases in the mother’s womb, do not abandon the newborn following their birth, but continue to guard them. All newborn babies do need ongoing assistance from the mother, because there are no IgAs in the organism of a newborn baby. During this period, the IgAs present in the milk the baby sucks from its mother protect the baby’s digestive system from the effect of many microbes. Just like IgGs, this antibody class also disappears after they have fulfilled their term of service, when the baby is a few weeks old.
Have you ever wondered who sends you these antibodies that try to protect you from microbes, when you are in the form of an embryo and unaware of anything? Is it your mother or your father? Or is it that they have taken a common decision and sent you these antibodies together? Certainly, the help in question is out of the control of both parents. The mother is not even aware that she has been endowed with such an aid plan. The father is just as unaware of all that is going on.
Then why do the cells present in the mother’s breast and productive of these antibodies function in such a way? Which power has told these cells that the newborn needs antibodies? It is by no means a coincidence that the cells engaging in antibody production for the baby are located in the place where the newborns suckle.
Here, there is another very important miracle. Antibodies are protein-structured organisms. Proteins, on the other hand, are digested in the human stomach. Therefore, normally, the baby suckling milk from its mother would digest these antibodies in its stomach, and would become unprotected against microbes. The stomach of the newborn baby, however, is created in such a way that it does not digest and destroy these antibodies. The production of protein-digesting enzymes is very little at this stage. Therefore, antibodies vital for life are not digested and they protect the newborn baby from its enemies.
The miracle does not end here. The antibodies, which are not broken down by the stomach, can, however, be absorbed by the intestine as a whole. The intestinal cells of the newborn are created in such a way as to do so.
Unquestionably, it is no coincidence that these miraculous events are arranged in such a sequence. The human body, a meticulously planned example of creation, passes from the embryonic stage to having a fully functional immune system in a perfectly phased manner. This is because the events that are supposed to take place in the body every day, every hour and every minute, are computed in an extremely finely-tuned manner. Certainly, the author of this precise calculation is Allah, Who creates everything according to a very intricate plan.
IgM (Immune globulin M): These antibodies are present in the blood, lymph and on the surface of the B cells. When the human organism encounters an antigen, IgM is the first antibody that is produced in the body in response to this enemy.
An unborn child can produce IgMs in the sixth month of gestation. If an enemy ever attacks the baby in the mother’s womb, for example, if it infects it with a microbial disease, the baby’s IgM production will increase. In order to determine whether the foetus has been infected with a disease or not, the IgM level in its blood is measured.
IgD (Immune globulin D): IgDs are also present in the blood, lymph, and on the surface of B cells. They are not capable of acting independently. By attaching themselves to the surfaces of T cells, they help them capture antigens.
IgE (Immune globulin E): IgEs are antibodies circulating in the bloodstream. These antibodies, which are responsible for calling fighter and some other blood cells to war, also cause some allergic reactions in the body. For this reason, the level of IgE is high in allergic bodies.
First, let us review the information we have examined so far:
Here we see a perfectly working system in place. Inside the cells that produce the antibodies, Allah placed information containing the construction plans of these antibodies that would fill thousands of encyclopaedia pages. Furthermore, He has given these unconscious cells the ability to make combinations, such as are beyond the reach of the human mind.
How do people who blindly believe in evolution explain the existence of such a perfect system? The answer is very simple: they cannot.
The only thing they do is put forward illogical assumptions which strongly self-contradict. There are many imaginary scenarios without any scientific validity that are solely directed towards finding an answer to the question of "How can we explain this system in terms of evolution?".
The most popular of these scenarios maintains that the immune system evolved from a single antibody. Here is the summary of this scenario which has no scientific basis:
Initially the defence system comprised of a single gene that produced a single type of immunoglobulin (a kind of protein). But this gene "rapidly created copies of itself (!)" and developed these copies so that they formed a different molecule of immunoglobulin. Then the control mechanisms developed that monitor the manufacturing of different genes which possess the ability to re-combine".
This example is important in seeing how shaky are the grounds the theory of evolution is built on, and in understanding the brainwashing and window-dressing methods evolutionists frequently have recourse to. Now let us examine this deceit sentence by sentence:
Sentence 1: "Initially the defence system comprised of a single gene that produced a single type of immunoglobulin (a kind of protein)."
The first question that must be asked is:
"By whom was this inaugural gene created?"
Evolutionists try to present this stage as an insignificant detail and circumvent it. However, how this initial gene has originated must be explained. It is scientifically impossible for a gene to have formed by itself. The impossibility of the coincidental formation of the gene sequence is a fact which has been admitted by evolutionist scientists many times. We can give an example from Prof. Ali Demirsoy, a Turkish evolutionist, on this subject.
That is, if life requires a certain sequence, it can be said that this has a probability likely to be realised once in the whole universe. Otherwise some metaphysical powers beyond our definition must have acted in its formation. 5
Yet evolutionists cover up this point and make a senseless presupposition such as "whatever the argument, there surely was a gene at the beginning." As is quite evident, the scenario collapses right at the first step.
Sentence 2: "But this gene "rapidly created copies of itself (!)" and developed these copies so that they formed a different molecule of immunoglobulin."
Though impossible, let us suppose that there was a gene at the beginning. Though it is utterly impossible for this first gene to have formed by itself, evolutionists make statements, lacking any logical basis such as "it created copies of itself." Such statements, which have no scientific value, constitute a good example of the window-dressing style of the evolutionists. A hypothesis assuming that a gene created and developed different copies of itself complies neither with the rules of logic nor with scientific facts.
Moreover, the antibodies produced by such an imaginary gene, which has supposedly formed by itself, and its copies, have to possess such properties and structure as will stop the antigens coming from the external world. This means that the same Creator, that is, Allah created both antigens and the genes that are responsible for producing antibodies for antigens.
Sentence 3: "Then the control mechanisms developed that manage the manufacturing of different genes which possess the ability to re-combine."
Unable to explain even the working principles of these control and combination mechanisms, evolutionists evade the issue by saying that "this system brought itself into being" whenever it serves their purpose. They do not attempt to describe how such an incredible system developed by itself as a result of coincidences. When they try to bring some explanations of their own to these issues, they cannot put forward anything but fabricated and ridiculous scenarios. By doing so, they expose their weakness, and the unreasonableness of the claim they make.
So great is the wisdom displayed in these control mechanisms that approximately two million differently structured products are fabricated from thousands of combinations of units of information. Yet, as mentioned before, neither the cell, nor any system within the cell has the ability to "learn" and "develop". Moreover, the cell makes these information combinations by selecting only the right ones out of infinite possibilities. Therefore, this requires a much more conscious and reasonable selecting. mechanism.
Those who make such a claim may well advance the following theories for any given product that is manufactured by technology or the human mind:
"Stone tablets created themselves and later developed into computers on their own.". Or,
"Kites that have created themselves later developed into jet planes."
The above sentences would sound absolutely absurd to any national person. However, even these sentences are much more logical than saying that the elements of the defence system, the working principles of which have not even been discovered, emerged by coincidence.
What is more, the presence of antibodies alone is not sufficient to protect the human body. For the defence system to operate, and for the human being to survive, macrophages, helper T cells, killer T cells, suppressor T cells, memory cells, B cells and many other factors must work in cooperation.
3. Ali Demirsoy, Kalıtım ve Evrim (Inheritance and Evolution), Ankara: Meteksan Yayınları p. 416
4. Scientific American, September 1993, p. 54
5. Ali Demirsoy, Kalıtım ve Evrim (Inheritance and Evolution), Ankara: Meteksan Yayınları p. 61