Monthly Archives: May 2012

SPIRITUALISM – THE UNCHANGING SPIRITUAL NATURE IN CHANGING WORLD

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HMS Beagle at Tierra del Fuego (painted by Con...

HMS Beagle at Tierra del Fuego (painted by Conrad Martens). HMS Beagle in the seaways of Tierra del Fuego, painting by Conrad Martens during the voyage of the Beagle (1831-1836), from The Illustrated Origin of Species by Charles Darwin, abridged and illustrated by Richard Leakey ISBN 0-571-14586-8. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SPIRITUALISM – THE UNCHANGING SPIRITUAL NATURE IN CHANGING WORLD :

Natural Science is the systematized knowledge of Nature and the physical world. It gives us the information to show change as the pervasive natural phenomenon. I seek to establish Spiritualism as the relationship between a changing object and its unchanging Spiritual Nature.

 

Richard Leakey, the leading Paleoanthropologist who conducts research at Turkana Basin Institute, Kenya believes that humanity will soon embrace the Theory of Evolution. He finds evidence for Human Evolution from the collection of Hominin fossils found in Africa.

 

Richard Leakey, a leading Paleoanthropologist who conducts research at Turkana Basin Institute, Kenya and teaches at SUNY, New York, has stated: “Extinction is the most common phenomena” …..”Extinction is always driven by climate change.” He believes that he has gathered enough fossil evidence to establish that man has evolved in Africa and that man in the next 30 years or so would fully embrace the Theory of Evolution as the basis for man’s origin.

THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION – A CHANGING WORLD – UNCHANGING REALITY :

 

Things in Nature change under the influence of time. Charles(Robert)Darwin,1809-92, English naturalist originated Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection which holds that all species of plants and animals developed from earlier forms by hereditary transmission of slight variations in successive generations and that Natural Selection determines which forms will survive.

 

I would like to respond to the view shared by Charles Darwin and other evolutionary biologists by suggesting that the Unchanging Reality supports the biological existence of a changing reality called Life. Human Life depends upon alternate periods of Light and Darkness. Each human being has a life span or LifeTime of its own as the organism measures the time interval between the moments of changing day and night while the source of Light remains the unchanging Reality. The reality called Life is not possible without this environmental change called day and night and the change called day and night will not happen unless it is supported by the unchanging nature of Reality. That is why, Life is a conditioned experience. Life is conditioned to exist by depending upon a change that is supported by unchanging Nature. While the Laws of Conservation of Matter and Energy would not allow matter( or mass ) and energy to be created or destroyed; living things are born and die because of the unchanging nature of Reality. Every change happens because of the unchanging nature of what we describe as ‘Nature’. Things in Nature change and yet Nature remains unchanged. Days alternate with Nights, Seasons change with regularity and consistency. While environment, and climate tend to show change and variation, we tend to notice change in the shape, size, or appearance of a Life Form while the nature of Life remains unchanged. In the fossils, we find the evidence for extinction of life forms and yet there is Life on planet Earth as the living substance, living matter, and living ground material remains unchanged. The unchanging ‘Spiritual’ Nature of Life and living matter allows the simple form of life called Egg Cell to change in size, in shape, in complexity, and in its morphological appearance and arrive as a newborn baby. At a fundamental level, this natural change from a simple to complex form of Life is possible because the elements of Nature have unchanging properties and the celestial objects move in Space in consistent, and expected regular orbits to support the existence of Life. Time flows, brings changes and yet Time flows in a cyclical manner. The Cyclical Flow of Time brings changes called Life and Death and Life after Death/Extinction.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April, 1970.

Biographical Information :

1. Place of Birth : Mylapore, Madras City, Chenna Patnam, Chennai, Madras State, Tamil Nadu, India. Born Hindu, Brahmin(Niyogi-Smartha), Telugu Speaking.

2. Date and Place of Marriage : January 29, 1973, Congregational Town Church, Cuddapah, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

 

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SPIRITUALISM – THE SCIENCE OF MATTER-ENERGY-LIFE-AND-SPIRITUALITY

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SPIRITUALISM – MATTER-ENERGY-LIFE-AND-SPIRITUALITY :

Man is a Physical Being with matter and form. Materialism is a system of thought that explains the nature of the world as entirely dependent on matter, the final reality. Man must understand what it is to be a substance and what it is to exist. I use a method of investigation or inquiry called ‘Dialectic’ which deals with the nature and relation of things - what each is, how it differs from others, what common quality all have, to what kind each belongs, and in what rank each stands in its kind, and whether its being is real-being, and how many beings there are and how many non-beings to be distinguished from beings. Life is characterized by the presence of complex transformation of organic molecules and by the organization of such molecules into the successively larger units of protoplasm, cells, organs and tissues. Life comes into existence only when matter has the ability to acquire energy from its external environment. I would like to begin this dialectical inquiry by paying a tribute to people who have significantly contributed to the understanding of matter, and energy transformation in living matter.

THE FOUNDER OF MODERN CHEMISTRY :

 

Antione Laurent Lavoisier(1743-94), French Chemist and Physicist, a Founder of Modern Chemistry. He was one of the first to use effective quantitative methods in the study of chemical reactions. His classification of substances is the basis of the modern distinction between chemical elements and chemical compounds and of the system of chemical nomenclature. His work established the Law of Conservation of Mass(or Matter). He was guillotined during the Reign of Terror unleashed by French Revolution.

 

Chemistry is the science that deals with the composition and properties of substances, and with the reactions by which substances are produced from or converted into other substances. The name Organic Chemistry originated to differentiate between those substances derived from plant and animal(organic) sources and those derived from inanimate(inorganic) materials. It refers to the Chemistry of compounds containing Carbon, or chains of connected Carbon atoms. The science called Biochemistry involves the study of the large organic molecules found in living systems and their reactions which make up the life processes. The science called Molecular Biology explains biological events by studying the molecules within cells.

 

Joseph Priestley(1733-1804), English Theologian, Philosopher, and Scientist. His techniques for studying gases led to his discovery of Sulfur Dioxide, Ammonia, and “Dephlogisticated Air”, the gas that Lavoisier named Oxygen. He had studied Photosynthesis in Plants and Respiration in animals. The most important equations for living things are mutually inverse.Respiration represents the reverse of Photosynthesis in Plants.

 

The Living Cell is a thermodynamically unstable system. This means that without continuous input of energy, a Cell will degrade spontaneously into a non-living collection of molecules. However, we have to be careful in using the term ‘perishable’. The Law of Conservation of Mass or Matter states that matter may change its form or shape; its mass always remains the same. Mass is the quantity of matter in a body regardless of its volume or of any forces acting on it. The Conservation Laws of classical Physics apply to certain physical properties of an isolated system that remain constant with time. These basic Laws of Physics maintain that the total value of certain quantities like mass and energy remain unchanged during a physical process. Laws of Conservation signify that nature does not change with passage of time. Conservation of Mass implies that matter can be neither created nor destroyed; that is, processes that change the physical or chemical properties of substances leave the total mass unchanged. The Law of Conservation of Energy implies that energy can be neither created nor destroyed although it can be changed from one form into another. The Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy could apply to both living systems and non-living physical systems. To maintain life, a living system not only repairs or replaces( or both ) its structures by a constant supply of the materials of which it is composed but also keeps its life processes in operation by a steady supply of energy. Living systems must be supplied energy for continual synthesis of new organic molecules and to replace or to repair broken organic molecules. Life is a consequence of successive and coordinated chemical reactions - the most important being the Oxidation-Reduction or Redox Reactions.

OXIDATION-REDUCTION OR REDOX REACTIONS :

 

Most important biological processes involve Oxidation-Reduction or Redox Reactions to acquire Oxidative energy from other substances termed nutrients. The burning of a substance in air is rapid Oxidation or Combustion which is not of much use for living systems. Plants and Animals use a form of Oxidation called Respiration to liberate energy stored in food materials.

 

Oxidation-Reduction reactions are complementary chemical reactions characterized by the loss or gain, respectively, of one or more electrons by an atom or molecule. When an atom or molecule combines, or forms a chemical bond, with oxygen, it tends to give up electrons to oxygen. Similarly, when a molecule loses oxygen, it tends to gain electrons. Oxidation is a reaction involving loss of electrons, and Reduction is a reaction involving the gain of electrons. The two processes, Oxidation and Reduction, occur simultaneously and in chemically equivalent quantities; the number of electrons lost by one substance is equaled by the number of electron gained by another substance. The substance losing electrons or electron donor undergoes Oxidation and is called Reductant. The substance gaining electrons or electron acceptor undergoes Reduction and is called Oxidant. Common Reductant substances are Carbon and Hydrogen( readily oxidized ). Common Oxidant( substance readily reduced ) is Oxygen. Respiration is the process by which an organism exchanges gases with its environment. Organisms that utilize respiration to obtain energy are called aerobic, or Oxygen-dependent. In Biochemistry, respiration refers to the series of biochemical Oxidation-Reduction reactions in which organic molecules such as carbohydrates( sugars ), fatty acids( fats ), and amino acids( proteins ) are converted to carbon dioxide and water. The chemical energy thus obtained is trapped and stored for later use by the cells.

ENERGY TRANSFORMATION IN LIVING MATTER :

 

Chlorophyll molecule is the green pigment found in the Chloroplasts of plant cells is uniquely capable of converting active light energy into a latent form(Glucose or Sugar)using the photosynthetic mechanism. Carbon is the central or key element in the compounds of which organisms are composed; the Carbon is derived from the Carbon Dioxide found in atmospheric air or dissolved in water. Plants incorporate Carbon into Carbohydrates and other complex organic molecules. During Respiration or Oxidation, Oxygen combines with portions of Carbohydrate molecule, releasing Carbon in the form of Carbon Dioxide and Water.

 

Energy Transformation in Living Matter. Oxygen is released as a byproduct during Photosynthesis and it is vital to Respiration in Plants and Animals. This relationship is very important for existence of Life.

 

Sir Hans Adolf Krebs(1900-1981), German-born British Biochemist who received the 1953 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery in living organisms of the series of chemical reactions known as the Tricarboxylic Acid Cycle/Citric Acid Cycle or Krebs Cycle.

 

Substances formed by the breakdown of Sugars, Fats, and Proteins are converted into Carbon Dioxide and Water, and energy-rich compounds(Adenosine Tri Phosphate or ATP) in a series of chemical reactions. It is the source of two-thirds of the food-derived energy in higher organisms.

 

Mitochondria are organelles found within most cells which provide the cells with energy by converting Oxidation energy into Chemical energy. They have extensive internal membranes or cristae where Cellular Respiration or Oxidation takes place. They provide energy oxidising Sugars, Fats, and Amino Acids using the Kreb’s Cycle. They have their own DNA and replicate autonomously.

 

The  process by which a living cell acquires energy to perform its living functions is called ‘Nutrition’, the power by which living matter attracts or obtains materials necessary for its growth and maintenance from surrounding matter or environment. The cell takes in nutrients and excrete waste products. The nutrients are either used as building blocks in synthesizing large molecules or they are oxidized producing energy for powering the cell’s activities. Life may be stated as a relationship between energy-yielding substance and energy-demanding substance.

SPIRITUALITY, CONSCIOUSNESS AND LIVING SYSTEM :

Irrespective of the size, shape, and external appearance, Consciousness is the fundamental characteristic of Living Matter. Consciousness has a set of defining features; it is the principle by which a Living System knows the fact of its own existence; it knows as to where it exists and knows as to how it is existing. Consciousness is the awareness of energy-dependent existence in a given environment and this characteristic is common to all living cells. The term ‘Spiritual’ describes the nature of a relationship, a partnership, an association, bonding, or connection between living molecules to provide some benefit to the existence of a living, individual entity. Hence, I describe Consciousness as a ‘spiritual’ function as it establishes a relationship between the energy-dependent and energy-yielding substances. Human Consciousness is fundamentally related to the Subject called “I AM” both at the level of the entire organism and at the level of individual living cells that constitute the organism displaying complex structural and functional organization of molecules which acquire, manipulate, transform, and utilize energy for the benefit of the existence of the Individual whom we recognize as a Human Person. Life has to be studied as structural and functional organization of matter in which knowledge is implanted, the presence of this knowledge is reflected in its living spiritual functions of consciousness, intelligence and use of information to manipulate and transform energy to support its own existence in its given environment.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April, 1970.

Biographical Information :

1. Place of Birth : Mylapore, Madras City, Chenna Patnam, Chennai, Madras State, Tamil Nadu, India. Born Hindu(Brahmin-Niyogi-Smartha), Telugu Speaking.

2. Date and Place of Marriage : January 29, 1973. Congregational Town Church, Cuddapah, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India.  

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SPIRITUALISM – THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF SPIRITUALITY

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Tobacco mosaic virus

Tobacco mosaic virus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SPIRITUALISM – THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF SPIRITUALITY :

The molecules and processes responsible for energy acquisition, energy manipulation, growth and reproduction are basically similar in all life-forms. To understand life, consideration must be given to describe the molecules that determine its structure and to the ways in which molecules are organized. The Molecular Basis of Spirituality describes the organization of molecules that is responsible for the coordination of living functions and living activities of life-forms. Spiritualism involves the capacity or capability to organize molecules to establish the reality of biological existence by any life-form. To explain the Molecular Basis of Spirituality, I would begin with the simplest life-forms that we know.

THE FOUNDERS OF VIROLOGY – THE STUDY OF VIRUSES :

 

Dmitri Ivanovsky( Dmitri Iosifovich Iwanowski ), Russian Botanist in 1892, discovered the filterable nature of a very tiny agent that causes Tobacco Mosaic Disease.

 

Martinus Beijerinck, the Dutch Microbiologist in 1898 named the mysterious infectious agent that causes Tobacco Mosaic Disease as ‘VIRUS’.

I am glad to pay my respectful tribute to Dmitri Ivanovsky, Russian Botanist, and to Martinus Beijerinck, the Dutch Microbiologist, the founders of Virology, the Study of Viruses. Ivanovsky studied the Tobacco Mosaic Disease during 1892. By conducting experiments he had demonstrated that the disease is caused by a filterable agent smaller than bacteria. In 1898, Beijerinck independently replicated Ivanovsky’s experiments and found that the infectious agent could only reproduce by infecting leaves of the Tobacco plant. He named the mysterious infectious agent as Tobacco Mosaic Virus- the first Virus recognized.

THE STUDY OF VIRUSES, VIRIONS, VIROIDS, AND VIRUSOIDS :

 

Virus is a complex, molecular life-form that blurs the boundaries of living and non-living material.

Viruses are small masses of material( 100 – 2,000 angstrom ), complex molecular life-forms that blur the boundaries of living and non-living material. Most Viruses are smaller than the wavelength of visible light. They are extremely small and can only be seen with an electron microscope. As compared to light microscope, electron microscope can increase magnification from 1,000 – 2,000 diameters to around 300, 000 diameters. Viruses are 1,000 times more plentiful in water than originally suspected and hence Viruses could be the most numerous life-forms on Earth. Many hundreds of different types of Viruses exist and all of them need living cells to serve them as hosts. Viruses can only complete their life cycles as parasites as they reproduce only within the cells of their hosts, upon which they depend for many of their fundamental life processes. While many Viruses are harmless to their hosts, certain Viruses are responsible for important diseases of humans, animals, and plants. Many Viruses are known to man by the specific disease entities that they cause: Smallpox, Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps, Yellow fever, Polio myelitis, Rabies, Influenza, and the Common Cold. All of us without any exception would get the chance of experiencing the bouts of one or the other Viral infections.

 

The DNA of Herpes Virus particle is enclosed by an icosahedral(20-sided) shell of 162 protein units, or capsomers, and by an outer spiked lipoprotein envelope. It causes infectious diseases in man like Chickenpox and Shingles.

A complete virus particle or Virion consists of one molecule of Nucleic Acid, single or double-stranded, either DNA or RNA depending on the specific Virus. It has a protein coat called Capsid which consists of a specific number of protein molecules or Capsomers in a definitive arrangement. In some Viruses, the outer coat has lipid(fat) and carbohydrate. The protein coat helps the survival of the Virus while it exists outside a living cell. The protein coat is also concerned with the mechanisms by which the Virus enters and infects the host cell.

 

To understand the concept of Spiritualism as a functional relationship that generates Peace, Harmony and Tranquility, we must know the nature of biotic interaction called Parasitism that causes Disease. Millions of human lives have perished due to the scourge of Viral Diseases that afflict humankind. This Retrovirus called Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) is responsible for Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS.

During the stage of its life cycle, when the Virus is free and infectious, the virus particle or Virion is inert, and does not carry out the usual functions of a living entity, such as reproduction or growth in numbers. The propagation of a Virus requires the internal environment of a complete cell, including its biochemical machinery. The Virus loses the protein coat upon entry into a cell, after which the genetic material of the Virus reproduces using materials made by the host cell. The Virus leaves the host cell surrounded by the protein coat, the characteristics of these protein molecules are determined by the genes in the Virus, but the protein molecules are synthesized by the host cell. Viruses are often described as “naked genes” which have discarded all other attributes of complete cells. The Virion or virus particle contains the knowledge or biological information that is needed for its replication. However, to perform that reproductive function, a Virus needs the host cell’s chemical energy, and protein-and nucleic-acid synthesizing ability.

 

Viroids and Virusoids are the smallest and simplest form of all recognized Viruses and Self-replicating Molecules.They lack the protective shell of protein coat that most other Viruses have.

Viroids and Virusoids are the smallest and simplest form of all recognized Viruses and Self-replicating Molecules. Viroids are composed of nothing more than a single circular strand of genetic material and cause major disease in plants. Since Viroids lack the protective shell of protein, they do not even spread easily from one cell or plant to another. The genetic material of Viroid is RNA which has a length of only a few hundred ribonucletids(200-400). Viroids are described as molecules of “naked RNA” that are significantly smaller than the genome of the smallest Virus. They are also called ‘subviral particles’. Viroids/Virusoids ”infect” other Viruses, and use the replication process of the host Virus to replicate themselves instead. Viroids are responsible for a number of serious diseases of economically important plants like the Coconut Palm and Chrysanthemums. Episomes are pieces of self-replicating genetic molecules found in some bacterial cells. These are similar to Viruses except for the fact that they only reproduce themselves when their host cells do, whereas Viruses reproduce themselves hundreds of times and often generate the signs and symptoms of the infectious disease they cause in the host.

RNA MOLECULE AS GENETIC MATERIAL :

 

The only human disease caused by a Viroid is HEPATITIS- D. The Viroid is enclosed in Hepatitis B Virus Capsid. Viroids use different strategies for encouraging host Viruses/cells to replicate its RNA molecule.

The RNA-containing Viruses are unique among living systems. They use RNA as their primary genetic material. Retroviruses produce the enzyme called RNA-directed DNA Polymerase or Reverse Transcriptase, which can make a DNA molecule from the Viral RNA molecule. This DNA molecule formed from RNA then serves as the principal genetic molecule within the infected, host cell. Retrovirus uses a life process that is termed ‘reverse transcription’. Two Retroviruses are associated with human leukemia which are Cancer of T-cells. The Retrovirus known as Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV is responsible for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or AIDS.

THE NUCLEIC ACID MOLECULE – THE ESSENCE AND EXISTENCE OF LIFE :

 

The Influenza Virus has the ability to cause pandemic(world-wide)infection of humans. The pandemic of 1918 is estimated to have killed 21-22 million people worldwide. The Virus got its name from the word “INFLUENCE” from an observation made more than 400 years ago that epidemics of respiratory illness occurred under the “influence” of planets and other astrological events. The term ‘spiritualism’ or ‘spirituality’ does not describe the ‘essence’ or character of this Viral Nucleic Acid Molecule.

 

Nucleic Acids are organic substances that are characteristic of all living things. These organic molecules are not found in nature except as components or products of organisms. They are called macromolecules; molecules of molecular weight greater than 10,000 daltons or 10,000 times the weight of a Hydrogen atom. These molecules are long chains or polymers that consist of chains of smaller units called monomers. Each Nucleic Acid chain is composed of subunits called nucleotides, each of which is composed of a specific sugar molecule( Deoxyribose or Ribose ), a molecule of Phosphoric Acid, and a molecule of one of four organic bases: Adenine(A), Guanine(G), Cytosine(C), and Thymine(T). The two chief types of Nucleic Acid are DNA( Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid ), and RNA( Ribo Nucleic Acid ). DNA contains the sugar deoxyribose and RNA contains the sugar ribose, and the base Uracil(U) instead of Thymine(T). The specific sequences of nucleotides constitute the genetic information of the life-form. Each three-nucleotide sequence specifies one particular amino acid. The long sequences of nucleotides thus correspond to the sequences of amino acids in the proteins that are synthesized. In order to be expressed as protein, the genetic information is carried to the protein-synthesizing machinery called Ribosomes found in the cytoplasm of the cell. Forms of RNA mediate this process and are important in the expression of the genetic code contained in the DNA for the synthesis of proteins. Although the triplet nucleotide code seems to be universal, the actual sequences of the nucleotides vary according to the species and individual organism. The Nucleic Acid Molecules, DNA/RNA is the substance of heredity; it carries the ‘essence’ or character of an organism from one generation to next generation. But, in the study of Viruses we have found that this ‘essence’ is not displayed until its ‘existence’ is supported and is established in a complete living cell. The Nucleic Acid Molecules do not have the capacity or capability of acquiring energy from their external environment. The Virion or virus particle is inert until it finds a host cell to establish its life as a living thing. The Nucleic Acid Molecules are important to establish the ‘essence’ of an organism and I find the characteristics called ‘Spiritualism’ or ‘Spirituality’ in the functional organization of those Molecules that establish the ‘existence’ of a living entity.

THE MOLECULAR BASIS OF SPIRITUALITY :

Smallpox or Variola was one of the worst scourges ever to afflict human beings. The Smallpox Vaccine developed by Dr. Edward Jenner, British Surgeon in 1796 was the first successful Immunization against any Infectious Disease or Agent. In October 1979, the World Health Organization(WHO) declared that the world is Smallpox Free. Spiritualism and Spirituality seek to establish Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in all functional Biotic Interactions within the Individual and within the Biotic or Biological Community.

  

The purpose and goal of Spiritualism or Spirituality is that of generating Peace, Harmony, and Equilibrium in all functional relationships within the Individual and between members of the Biotic or Biological Community. The disease, the disability, the morbidity, and death caused by Viral infections demonstrate the consequences of Biotic Interactions called Parasitism. The functional organization of a variety of Molecules that provide the functional ability called ‘Existence’ that establishes a living entity is the chief attribute of the ground substance found inside the Living, Complete Cell and the viral particles have no such functional organizational capacity or capability. The Spirit or Soul represents the ‘Knower’ of the Function and is the Architect of Molecular Organization that causes ‘Existence’. The role of various other Molecules, the Molecules concerned with Life, found in living cells will be given further consideration in my next blog post to demonstrate the ‘spiritual’ nature of the Protoplasm, the ground substance, the living material, or living matter that constitutes Life.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April,  1970.

Biographical Information :

1. Place of Birth : Mylapore, Madras City, Chenna Patnam, Chennai, Madras State, Tamil Nadu, India. Born: Hindu, Brahmin(Niyogi-Smartha), Telugu Speaking.

2. Date and Place of Marriage : January 29, 1973, Congregational Town Church, Cuddapah, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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SPIRITUALISM – THE CELL THEORY OF SPIRITUALITY

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A diagram of a typical prokaryotic cell. This ...

A diagram of a typical prokaryotic cell. This diagram, made in Adobe Illustrator, is an improved version of a similar diagram, Image:Prokaryote cell diagram.svg, which was also made by LadyofHats. Besides general appearance changes, this version adds plasmids and pili, and notes that DNA is circular. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SPIRITUALISM – THE CELL THEORY OF SPIRITUALITY :

In Biology, cell is the basic or fundamental unit of structure, function, and organization in all living things or it is the building block of life. Let me begin with my respectful tribute to some of the people who contributed to ‘The Cell Theory’, one of the foundations of Biological Sciences. Cells were first observed in the 17th century shortly after the discovery of the microscope. Robert Hooke, british curator of instruments at The Royal Society of London, during 1665 coined the word cell. Dutch microscopist Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek(1632-1723) made over 247 microscopes and examined microorganisms and tissue samples. He gave the first complete descriptions of bacteria, protozoa( which he called animalcules ), spermatozoa, and striped muscle. He also studied capillary circulation and observed Red Blood Cells.

 

Robert Hooke, british curator of instruments at The Royal Society of London coined the term cell during 1665.

 

Dutch microscopist Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek(1668-80) studied capillary circulation and observed Red Blood Cells.

Improvements in microscopy during early 19th century permitted closer observation and the significance of cells had received better understanding. Matthias Jakob Schleiden(1838), german botanist, Theodor Schwann(1839), german physiologist, and Rudolf Virchow(1855), german pathologist, and others made important contributions to The Cell Theory that describes cell as the building block of all Life.

 

Schleiden, Professor of Botany, The University of Jena studied plant structure under the microscope, published “Contibutions to Phytogenesis”(1838). He had also published the two-volume text of ‘Principles of Scientific Botany’.

 

Schwann founder of modern Histology extended the Cell Theory of Plants to animals in his ‘Microscopic Researches into Accordance in the Structure and Growth of Animals and Plants(1839).

 

Schwann discovered Myelin Sheath covering peripheral axons, now termed Schwann Cells. He coined the term ‘Metabolism’ for the chemical changes that take place in living tissues.

Rudolf Virchow,german pathologist in 1855 coined the biological dictum “OMNIS CELLULA E CELLULA” – All living cells arise only from pre-existing living cells.

The Cell is the smallest unit in the living organism that is capable of carrying on the essential life processes of sustaining metabolism for producing energy and reproducing. Many simple, small, single-celled organisms like Protozoa perform all life functions. In higher, complex, bigger, multicellular organisms, groups of cells are structurally and functionally differentiated into specialized tissues and organ systems. Thus, The Cell Theory includes the following foundational principles of the Biological Sciences:

1. All living things are made up of cells. Cell is the most elementary or basic unit of Life. 

2. Cell is a fundamental unit of structure, function, and organization in all living things including plants and animals.

3. Cells only rise from division of previously existing cells.

4. All cells are similar in composition, form, and function. All cells are basically the same in chemical composition( in spite of variations ) in organisms of similar species. For example, all the solid tissues in the human body can be shown to consist largely of similar cells; differing it is true, but that are essentially similar to an Ovum.

5. The cells exhibit functional autonomy. The activity of an organism depends on the total activity of ‘INDEPENDENT’ cells.

6. Energy flow( metabolism and biochemistry ) occurs within cells.

7. Cells contain hereditary, biological information(DNA) which is passed from cell to cell during cell division.

THE CELL THEORY OF SPIRITUALITY :

The basic or fundamental unit of life in the human organism is derived from the fertilized egg cell that eventually develops into a complete organism. The most significant feature of similarity between the cells of the human body is the presence of a soft, gelatinous, semi-fluid, granular material inside the cell. This substance known as Protoplasm or Cytoplasm, or Cytosol is similar to the ground substance found in the Ovum or the Egg Cell. This viscous, translucent, colloidal substance is enclosed in a membrane called Plasma Membrane or Biological Membrane. A small spherical body called nucleus is embedded in the Protoplasm of the cell. The two essential features of any living cell in the human body are that of the presence of Protoplasm and the nucleus.

 

Human Ovum Structure – The Cell Theory of Spirituality is based upon the Substance, Structure, Form, Organization, Function, Action and Interactions of this Single Fertilized Egg Cell that eventually develops into a complete human organism.

THE SPIRITUALITY OF SUBSTANCE, FUNCTION, ORGANIZATION, ACTION, AND INTERACTIONS :

To establish the biological existence of the human organism, I add the concept of Spiritualism and Spirituality to The Theory of Cell. The Single Fertilized Egg Cell has ground substance that is of Spiritual nature and the Spiritualism and Spirituality consists of the following functional, and organizational characteristics:

1. The Cell is Conscious of its own existence and knows its internal condition and knows it external environment.

2. The Cell is Intelligent and it has the Cognitive abilities like perception and memory to acquire information, to retain information, to recall information, and to use information in the performance of its complex tasks in a sequential manner.

3. The Cell has the ability to show characteristics such as mutual cooperation, mutual tolerance, and display functional subordination and subservience while being independent.

4. The Cell grows, divides, and develops into a complete organism while it acquires substances and energy from an external environment and it continuously transforms matter to build matter of its own kind for its own benefit to sustain its  existence with its own identity, individuality while the Organism represents a social group or a biological community. The Spiritual nature of the substance brings this functional harmony and unity by bringing together its Essence and Existence.

The theoretical claims about Spirit and Soul, the religious and philosophical doctrines of Spiritualism and Spirituality must be verified using The Cell Theory that defines the human organism. To describe Soul or Spirit as  nonmaterial Self will not help man to know the real or true man.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April,  1970.

Biographical Information:

1. Place of Birth: Mylapore, Madras City, Chenna Patnam, Chennai, Madras State, Tamil Nadu, India. Born Hindu Brahmin(Niyogi-Smartha), Telugu Speaking.

2. Date and Place of Marriage: January 29, 1973, Congregational Town Church, Cuddapah, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India.  

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SPIRITUALISM – THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF SPIRITUALITY

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Principle of ECG formation, fast Deutsch: Prin...

Principle of ECG formation, fast Deutsch: Prinzip der EKG-Darstellung, schnell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SPIRITUALISM – THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF SPIRITUALITY :

From the beginning of human history, the ideas and concepts about Spiritualism and Spirituality included a desire to find Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in the living human experience and it is concerned about the experience of Happiness, Joy, and Bliss which is described as ‘ANANDA’ in Sanskrit language. Thinkers have contemplated that Spiritualism or Spirituality may involve a potency that is associated with an intelligent, immaterial substance called Spirit. The term Soul is often used to describe the immortal, immutable aspect of man who is separate from his body. The term Spirit is used to describe a thing that may have an independent existence of its own apart from the physical body and it may survive after the death of the body. The ideas or concepts about Soul or Spirit appear to be valid and upon verification, I seek the existence of Soul or Spirit in a substance that is basic to life activities, and in a material that is responsible for all living processes. I, therefore, propose that the understanding of the true or real nature of this ground substance of all living matter will help man to discover Peace, Harmony, and Tranquility in all of his internal and external relationships while man exists in a physical environment as a member of a social group, social community, and Society. In this blog post, I would like to pay my respectful tribute to Jan Evangelista Purkinje and Hugo Von Mohl for their great contribution to the scientific understanding of the living substance, living material, and living matter.

JAN EVANGELISTA PURKINJE – JAN EVANGELISTA PURKYNE :

 

Jan Evangelista Purkyne(Czech name), Jan Evangelista Purkinje(German name)also known as Johannes Evangelist Purkinje, b. December 17, 1787, d. July 28, 1869. The pioneer Czech experimental Physiologist whose investigations in the fields of Histology, Embryology,and Pharmacology helped create a modern understanding of the eye and vision, brain and heart function, mammalian reproduction, and the composition of cells.

 

Purkinje conducted his research on human vision at the University of Prague and later on, he served there as a Professor of Physiology(1850-69). He went to Germany and was appointed the Chair of Physiology and Pathology(1823-50) at the University of Breslau, Prussia. There Purkinje created the world’s first independent Department of Physiology(1839) and the first Physiological Laboratory(Physiological Institute, 1842). He is best known for his discovery of large nerve cells with many branching extensions found in the cortex of Cerebellum of the brain(Purkinje Cells, 1837). He discovered the fibrous tissue that conducts electrical impulses from the ‘pacemaker’ called Atrioventricular node or A-V node along the inside walls of the ventricles to all parts of the heart to help in Cardiac contractile function(Purkinje Fibers, 1839). In 1835, he invented and introduced the scientific term ‘Protoplasm’ to describe the ground substance found inside young animal embryo cells. He discovered the sweat glands of the skin(1833); he discovered the nine configuration groups of Fingerprints used in biometric identification of man(1823); he described the germinal vesicle or nucleus of the unripe ovum that now bears his name(1825), and he noted the protein digesting power of pancreatic extracts(1836).

 

Purkinje Fibers and Cardiac Contraction. The spiritual nature of protoplasm brings functional unity among the cells, tissues, and organ systems of the human body.

 

Purkinje Nerve Cells or neurons found in Cerebellum of brain.Protoplasm is a spiritual substance that brings functional unity between the cells, tissues, and organ systems of the human body.

 

Fingerprint Identification: By using the current biometric identification technologies, each human being including identical twins could be known as specific individuals. Protoplasm is a spiritual substance that establishes the Individuality while the genome presents the morphological appearance and physical identity of man.

 

HUGO VON MOHL :

Hugo Von Mohl, b. April 08, 1805, d. April 01, 1872, German Botanist noted for his research on the anatomy and physiology of plant cells.

Hugo Von Mohl named the granular, colloidal material that made up the main substance of the plant cell as “Protoplasm” in 1846. Purkinje had invented the word, but Hugo gave more clarity, understanding, and knowing the nature of this ground substance. He viewed cell as an “elementary organ” and in Physiology he explained Protoplasm as an organ of Motion or Movement, Nutrition, and Reproduction. It is the preliminary material in cellular generation. He was the first to propose that new cells are formed by division of preexisting cells and he had observed this process of Cell Division in the algal cells of Conferva glomerata. His observations are very important to understand the Cell Theory that explains cells as the basic building blocks of Life. He was the first to investigate the phenomenon of the stomatal openings in leaves.

PROTOPLASM – THE GROUND SUBSTANCE OF SPIRITUALISM AND SPIRITUALITY :

 

The Ground Substance of Spiritualism and Spirituality. The vital characteristics, the animating principles of Protoplasm could be known by observing Amoeba proteus. The Living Substance works as an organ of Motion or Movement, as an organ of Nutrition, and as an organ of Reproduction to generate new cells which have a life span of their own. In these physiological functions, I describe the characteristics such as Cognition, Consciousness, Memory, and Intelligence which have a Spiritual role as they bring functional unity and harmony in the interactions between different parts of the same individual organism while it exists in an environment as a member of a biological community.

Protoplasm is a complex, viscous, translucent solution of such materials as salts and simple sugars with other molecules, mostly proteins and fats, in a colloidal state, that is dispersed but not dissolved in one another. Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen, and Nitrogen constitute more than 90 percent of Protoplasm. It exhibits properties such as Protoplasmic Streaming or Cytoplasmic Streaming or Motion that is called “Amoeboid Movement.” It has the intrinsic power to change its shape and position. It has the power of Nutrition by which it can attract and obtain the materials necessary for its growth and maintenance from surrounding matter/environment. These functions involve acquiring, processing, retaining, and using information to perform tasks in a sequential manner for a predetermined purpose and hence describe Consciousness, Memory, and Intelligence. The terms Soul and Spirit belong to the materialistic realm where the Physical Reality of man’s biological existence is established. I have not yet discovered any good reason to use the terms Soul and Spirit as a metaphysical or transcendental Reality.

Dr. R. Rudra Narasimham, B.Sc., M.B.B.S.,

Kurnool Medical College, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India,

M.B.B.S.  Class  of  April,  1970.

Biographical Information :

Birthplace: Mylapore, Madras City, Chenna Patnam, Chennai, Madras State, Tamil Nadu.

Date and Place of Marriage: January 29, 1973, Congregational Town Church, Cuddapah, Kadapa, Kadapa District, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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