| THE ADRENAL GLANDS
Almost everyone knows that there are two kidneys and that they are of
vital importance, but most people do not know that there are two small
pieces of tissue, weighing only 5-6 grams each, on top of both kidneys
that are also of vital importance.
When we examine these glands, called the adrenal glands,
each one is two separate laboratories. The first of these is the external
part of the adrenal gland (the adrenal cortex), which produces three different
hormones; the second is the internal part of the adrenal gland (the adrenal
medulla), which produces two different hormones. The hormones produced
by these glands are so important that the secretion of too much or too
little of them results in death.22
The Fight or Flight System
Some people owe their lives to a miraculous hormone called adrenaline:
when these people are in danger, this fluid makes them stronger, more
agile, faster and more attentive. It even doubles their physical capacities
as if they had drunk a very powerful potion to give them strength. For
example, a pilot notices a mechanical failure in his plane while flying.
After a mechanical failure, which threatened to bring down his plane,
a heroic pilot lands safely at the airport, saving the lives of hundreds
of passengers. But there is a very important point that journalists usually
fail to add: what saved the lives of the pilot and the passengers was
that marvelous fluid mentioned above.
Adrenaline is secreted immediately in the body of a pilot whose airplane
malfunctions. This fluid sends more sugar and blood to the brain,
making the pilot more attentive. His blood pressure and heartbeat
increase, making him more alert. These are only a few of the changes
that adrenaline causes in the pilot's body. |
The fluid sent an alarm to the pilot's brain cells, causing more blood
and sugar to be sent to his brain and made him more alert. At the same
time, it increased his heartbeat and blood pressure, enabling him to move
faster and be more attentive. His respiratory system capacity increased
so that he could utilize more oxygen (and more blood could flow to his
brain and muscle cells). His muscles and limbs became more intensely focused
and the increase in the level of sugar in his blood gave him the extra
energy that he required.
Adrenaline (epinephrine) is produced and stored in the adrenal medulla-the
inner portion of the adrenal glands. Everyone has this hormone in him
all his life; you have it in you right now. If it is needed, the adrenal
glands will produce it so that you may become stronger, faster, and much
more alert. If you are in some danger, you will be given about twice your
normal strength to enable you to fight against the source of the danger
(or to run away) to save your life.
Although such an important hormone, the concentration
of adrenaline in the bloodstream is surprisingly small compared to the
work it does. It has been calculated, for example, that if the amount
of blood in our bodies were compared to a lake 100 meters in diameter
and two meters deep, the adrenaline in our blood would be the equivalent
of one teaspoon of fluid poured into the lake.23
In the adrenal glands there are two separate laboratories that produce
very important hormones. The first is the adrenal cortex; the other
is the adrenal medulla. The hormones produced in these laboratories
are essential for human life. |
The powerful effect of a small amount of this fluid on the human body
is the result of wonderful design. When we look at the functional system
of an adrenaline hormone, we more clearly understand the perfection of
God's creation.
The physical requirements of a normal person will certainly not be the
same as that of a person in danger. Consider the needs of a person who
is confronted by a dangerous situation: he must run fast, his muscles
must work more quickly, his blood pressure must rise, and his heart must
beat more quickly. So, he will be able to run faster, escape more quickly
or fight more strongly against the danger. How does all this happen?
When the danger occurs, an alarm button is pushed in the body, and the
brain sends a lightening-fast command to the adrenal glands. The cells
in the interior section of the adrenal gland then go into alarm mode and
secrete adrenaline hormone to deal with the emergency. The adrenaline
molecules mix with the blood and disperse throughout the various areas
of the body.
Adrenaline molecules have a special function in the
veins and arteries that ensures the vital organs receive a greater supply
of blood at the times of danger, and to do this, they dilate the blood
vessels going to the heart, brain and muscles. The cells surrounding the
vessels obey the adrenaline and supply the extra blood required by the
heart. In this way, the extra blood needed by the brain, muscles and heart
is supplied.24
The adrenal cortex plays an important role in reducing stress on the
body. When the body is under severe stress, the hypothalamus sends
a command to the pituitary gland to secrete ACTH (adrenocorticotropic
hormone). ACTH, on the other hand, stimulates the adrenal cortex,
causing the production of corticosteroids. These corticosteroids ensure
the production of glucose from molecules such as proteins, which contain
no carbohydrates. As a result, the body receives extra energy and
stress is reduced. |
While dilating the blood vessels going to the heart,
brain and muscles, adrenaline constricts the vessels that supply the liver
and the skin to ensure extra support needed by the body. There is another
reason for the reduced amount of blood pumped to the skin: in the likely
case of a wound, the amount of blood loss would be reduced. The reason
for paleness observed in the skin in times of excessive excitement is
because less blood is pumped to the skin then.25
An error never occurs that dilates the vessels going to the heart (or
the brain) that constricts vessels going to the liver (or skin); the adrenaline
molecule knows what it must do. A microscopically small hormone adjusts
the diameter of the hundreds of blood vessels in your body where the blood
is to be directed.
In times of danger, the body goes into a state of alarm by means of
a link between the brain and the adrenal glands. |
For every organ in the body, the action of adrenaline is different; when
the adrenaline molecule goes to the blood vessels, it causes them to dilate;
when it goes to the heart, it quickens the contraction of the heart cells.
This makes the heart beat faster and supplies the extra strength that
the muscles need.
When the adrenaline molecule reaches the muscle cells, the muscles can
contract with much more strength. The adrenaline molecules that go to
the liver command the cells located there to mix more sugar with the blood.
This causes the amount of sugar in the blood to increase and supplies
the extra fuel needed by the muscles.
This activity of the adrenaline hormone in the body requires a great
amount of intelligence, knowledge and skill. This tiny molecule knows
what it must do and when; when the body does not need it, the alarm mode
is never set into operation. Apart from this, it knows very well to which
cells it must go, and what kind of command it must give to them. Moreover,
this shows that it is well acquainted with the cells, with the organs
and their functions, and it never makes an error as to when the body must
be taken out of this emergency mode.
If it made such an error, the body would be irreparably damaged. But
these little molecules function with a keen awareness of their responsibility.
How is it possible for an unconscious, lifeless fluid, without a brain,
eyes or knowledge, and composed of a certain combination of atoms too
small for the eye to see to act in such an intelligent, organized, and
timely way?
As we can see in the picture, when the woman sees the snake, she becomes
afraid and an alarm button in her body is pushed. Her brain sends
a lightening-fast command to her adrenal glands. The cells in the
inner part of the adrenal glands go into a state of alarm and secrete
adrenaline for the emergency. The adrenaline molecules mix with the
blood and are distributed to various parts of the body. The body is
then enabled to react appropriately to the danger. For example, the
woman's heart beats faster, and the sugar in her blood increases,
giving her muscles added strength and she is able to escape the danger. |
This clearly shows that every molecule in our bodies is created by God
and that, throughout our lives, every moment's activity is controlled
by God's power, will and command. After knowing how the body works in
detail, no one with intelligence can claim that living things, cells,
hormones, molecules or atoms are the purposeless works of chance. God's
power, strength and sublimely intelligent knowledge, witnessed to by creation,
are manifested in every place and at every moment. As the Qur'an says:
What is in the heavens and in the Earth belongs
to God. God encompasses all things. (Qur'an, 4: 126)
Ten Million People and One Gram of the Hormone Aldosterone
In order to survive, countless balances must be preserved in your body
every moment. As a person lives his daily life, he is not aware of any
of these balances. For example, at this moment various systems are adjusting
your blood pressure. The "aldosterone" hormone produced in the adrenal
glands has the duty of preventing a fall in your blood pressure and adjusting
the sodium balance in your body.
If the aldosterone of ten million people were pooled together, only
one gram of the hormone would result. Despite the fact that there
is so little of it in the human body, the function of this hormone
is very important. |
In your body exists as little as one gram in ten million
of aldosterone. Research has shown that from one ton of adrenal glands,
only ten milligrams of aldosterone is secreted.26
In order to obtain one gram of aldosterone, it would be necessary to collect
the aldosterone secreted from the adrenal glands of a total of ten million
people. The human body is created in such a delicate balance that a deficiency
in such a small quantity of this hormone results in death.
As explained above, aldosterone has two purposes: to increase the concentration
of sodium (Na+) in the blood and to raise blood pressure. These two requirements
are intimately connected to each other and aldosterone is a finely designed
solution for meeting these two needs at the same time. If the quantity
of sodium in the blood increases, the fluid level in the blood also rises
with it. This is because molecules of water have a tendency to go where
sodium is high.
Here is where we see the excellence of the design of aldosterone. On
the one hand, it increases the amount of sodium; on the other, it uses
the capacity of sodium to absorb fluid. When the blood level of sodium
falls, aldosterone warns the cells in the tiny tubes of the kidneys. These
cells intercept the sodium ions in the urine and reabsorb them. This causes
the sodium ions to enter the cells forming the tiny tubes, and from there
they are released again into the blood.
In this way, the amount of sodium is raised, the ion balance is maintained,
the amount of fluid in the blood is increased, and blood pressure is restored
to its normal level. When the sodium ions in the tiny tubes of the kidneys
are restored, potassium ions (K+) are secreted from the blood to the urine
because the proportion of sodium and potassium in the blood must be at
a very particular rate. The mineral proportion is very important to ensure
the proper acid-base balance in the fluid inside and outside the cells,
and for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
Because there must be a certain level of sodium and potassium in the
blood, the cells in the kidney channels reabsorb a sodium ion (Na+)
and release a potassium ion (K+) to the urine. Aldosterone is responsible
for ensuring this important balance. |
Aldosterone is produced in the exterior portion of the adrenal gland.
The cells in this portion have never seen the cells in the depths of the
kidneys (and there is no possibility for them to encounter them). How
is it that these cells know how to produce the right hormone for the reabsorption
of sodium and the release of potassium? How does the adrenal gland know
how to balance electrolytes and reduce the blood pressure? Most people
are unaware that such ions exist in their own bodies.
Every cell in the human body is created to fulfill a special function;
they are given their special qualities and placed in an area where they
can perform this function. In short, a human being is created, and every
feature of his body is a proof of this creation.
He to Whom the kingdom of the heavens and the Earth
belongs. He does not have a son and He has no partner in the Kingdom.
He created everything and determined it most exactly. (Qur'an, 25: 2)
A Flawless Planning
The next system we will examine is a wonder of planning and design. As
we examine the workings of this system, we must ask, "Could this system
have come into being as the result of unconscious chance?"
This question is important because time, chance, and the results of natural
law are the reasons offered by history's worst deceit for its denial of
the existence of God; the theory of evolution bases its account of the
development of living things on this foundation.
The deceit of evolution claims that human beings and everything else
ultimately came into existence by chance. However, the system that we
are about to examine is, by itself, enough to reveal the real nature of
the myth of chance and to show the deceitful enterprise of evolution.
The system is constructed so that it will come into operation when there
is a blood pressure drop. It begins its role when the blood pressure drops
below a certain level, like a fire alarm sensor specially designed to
detect smoke coming from a fire.
When the blood pressure falls, the alarm sounds because low blood pressure
can be very serious. When the alarm sounds, a series of measures must
be taken to raise it. These measures include the following:
1. The blood vessels must be constricted. (This constriction will cause
a rise in blood pressure, as is the case when a garden hose is compressed
in the end.)
2. More water must be absorbed from the kidneys and mixed with the blood
to raise the blood fluid level.
3. A person must be made to drink water as soon as possible.
A flawless system has been placed in the depths of the
human body to put these measures into effect. At the moment when the blood
pressure falls (or the amount of sodium in the blood becomes less), certain
cells in the kidneys become aware of the problem. The Juxtaglomerular
cells secrete a very important substance called "renin."27
The level of blood pressure is of vital importance for a human being. |
It is a wonder that cells can detect a drop in blood pressure or in the
amount of sodium present and then secrete renin, the first link in a long
chain that raises blood pressure.
In blood plasma, there is a protein that normally has a neutral effect
as it circulates in the blood. This protein, called angiotensiogen, is
produced in the liver. The first stage of this incredible planning starts
here. Angiotensiogen and renin have no functions of their own, but they
were designed specially to unite with one another. How is it possible
that they are specially produced like logo blocks designed to fit perfectly
into one another?
Consider this: kidney cells and liver cells are far removed from one
another. How is it that one of these groups of cells produces one part
(renin) and the other group produces the other part (angiotensiogen) in
such a way as to fit perfectly with the first part? Could this happen
as the result of unconscious chance?
Certainly not! It is not possible that such a process could occur by
chance.
Renin changes the composition of the angiotensiogen molecule, causing
the emergence of a new molecule, angiotensin I:
Renin + Angiotensiogen ? Angiotensin I
The angiotensiogen protein produced in the liver and the renin produced
by the kidney cells come together for a common purpose. These two
different materials produced in two different organs fit into each
other like parts of a logo, demonstrating the flawless design of the
body. |
This new molecule has no function either. Found in the lungs, an enzyme
called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE for short) functions to break
down the angiotensin I molecule. Because of this enzyme, angiotensin I
changes into a different molecule, angiotensin II.
Angiotensin I + ACE enzyme ? Angiotensin II
Two different molecules produced in the kidneys and the liver act on
each other and a new molecule is produced. Lung cells that have no relation
to kidney cells and liver cells produce an enzyme to unite completely
with this new molecule. Moreover, they produce this enzyme long before
it unites with these molecules. How do lung cells produce the right enzyme
for a process that has not yet developed to interact with a material that
has not yet been produced? How does it know how to make an enzyme that
will change a non-functional hormone into a functional hormone?
Again, it is clear that each stage is a designed system. The angiotensin
II produced as a result of these stages is a proof of design and planning.
This enzyme has two vital functions that would lead the system to the
desired end result: the first of these functions is the constriction of
the blood vessels (the first of the three desired results that we enumerated
at the beginning of this section). Angiotensin II stimulates the muscles
surrounding the blood vessels and activates the mechanism that contracts
these muscles. In this way, the muscles contract, narrowing the diameter
of the blood vessels and raising the blood pressure.
Could this happen by unconscious chance?
Again, this is impossible; Angiotensin II is specially designed to constrict
the blood vessels and these is no room for chance in this flawless design.
Another important function of angiotensin II is to summon into action
the wonderful aldosterone hormone. Angiotensin II reaches the adrenal
glands and gives the command to secrete aldosterone. This is another proof
of planning: when aldosterone mixes with the blood, it causes the kidneys
to absorb the fluid in the urine.
As a result, the blood pressure will rise. This is the second result
we want to achieve.
The material produced in concerted effort (and according to a plan by
the kidneys, lungs and liver) brings about the secretion of the hormone
causing a rise in blood pressure. In order to do this, it is necessary
that the kidney cells, lung cells and liver cells form a coalition.
Before all else, this coalition must investigate what they need to do
when blood pressure drops to make a decision about the best way "to constrict
the blood vessels" and "to ensure the secretion of aldosterone."
Later, they must again make an investigation and analyze the anatomy
of the adrenal glands and that of the cells in the muscles of the blood
vessels and determine the way in which they function. Later, they will
have to determine the molecular make-up of Angiotensin II to cause the
muscles of the blood vessels to contract, and the adrenal glands to secrete
aldosterone.
When blood pressure falls, renin secreted by certain kidney cells
and angiotensiogen secreted in the liver come together and unite,
like two matching parts of a logo. After this union, an enzyme called
ACE forms a molecule called angiotensin II. This molecule constricts
the blood vessels and ensures the secretion of aldosterone in the
kidneys. This hormone causes the kidneys to reabsorb much more fluid
from the urine. This chain of operations adjusts the blood pressure,
raising it to the proper level. |
That last thing that must be done is to determine how this molecule will
be produced. Every organ must take responsibility for one stage in its
production. In terms of the production plan, there is a three-stage assembly
system in which every organ is given a function. The kidney will produce
renin, the liver will produce angiotensiogen and the lungs will produce
ACE. Afterwards, the cells must return to their normal roles.
If someone does not believe that this system was created by a supreme
power according to a special plan, that person must accept the view that
unconscious cells achieved this by the mechanisms of neo-Darwinism (mutation
and natural selection). The claims of evolutionists are unbelievable and
illogical because this system (comprised of the kidney, liver and lung
cells), which is irreducibly complex, must have come into being all at
once at the same time. The probability of this happening by chance would
require very unlikely events. At the same time (and again ultimately by
chance), cells would have had to be formed to measure the pressure in
the kidneys, then aldosterone would have had to be formed in the adrenal
gland, the kidney tube cells would have had to acquire a structure designed
to respond to aldosterone, and the cells in the muscles of the blood vessels
would have had to get a structure that could be affected by angiotensin
II. Countless other elements would have had to be in place at the same
moment for this system to come into being, and if just one element had
been absent, the whole system would not have functioned.
1. The adrenal glands produce the hormones that stimulate the thirst
center.
2. Information taken from baroreceptors in the heart travel to the
3. When enough water is provided, the tongue, the stomach and the
intestine send the message that the reserves are filled.
4. The hypothalamus orders the saliva glands to stop production, and
the result is a dry mouth.
Many times in the course of a day we feel thirsty and so drink a glass
of water. But we are generally unaware of what is happening in our
bodies at that time. Cells in the various organs of the body determine
the water needs of the body and work with one another in a series
of operations by which a person is urged to drink water. We never
think about where this urge comes from; we just drink the water that
assists our bodies. |
A system as this could not come into being as a result of unconscious
operations of chance. This system, created by the eternal intelligence
and knowledge of God and placed in the human body, has worked perfectly
in the bodies of every one of the millions of human beings that have ever
existed (except in cases of illness). Human beings have become aware of
the existence of this system through research done with the help of sophisticated
technological tools. Every bit of research that is done makes it impossible
to explain the existence of the systems operating in the human body in
terms of the myth of chance. This is because human beings are created,
and it is not possible to hide the magnificence of creation by creating
imaginary and illogical scenarios.
At the beginning of this section, we listed three measures necessary
to increase blood pressure. The third was the necessity of getting the
person to drink more water. In order to get a person to drink water, he
must want to drink it. This time, the unconscious cells of the lungs,
kidneys and liver deep in the body must influence a person's psychology.
The required plan is just one more detail in the flawless
system created by God. The angiotensin-II produced by the concerted efforts
of the kidneys, lungs and liver goes to a special part of the brain and
activates it. This area of the brain is the "thirst center" that stimulates
a sense of thirst. But there, an impediment called the "blood-brain barrier,"
which protects the brain makes it very difficult for the angiotensin II
to pass from the blood to the brain tissues. This protective system is
found in several areas of the brain, and one of these is the "thirst center."
Thanks to the special character created in angiotensin-II, it is able
to stimulate the thirst center and to arouse the desire to drink water.28
Can this system have come to be by the operation of unconscious chance?
After so many proofs, there is nothing left to say to a person who answers
"Yes." The heart and conscience of such a person has been blinded; he
has been conditioned not to accept the truth. God reveals in the Qur'an
what is to be said to such a person:
… Do you then disbelieve in Him Who created you
from dust, then from a drop of sperm, and then formed you as a man? He
is, however, God, my Lord, and I will not associate anything with my Lord.
(Qur'an, 18: 37-38)
A Miraculous Medicine (Cortisol)
 Shortly,
we will examine the aspects of another marvel-a hormone called "Cortisol."
But this hormone has such a varied function in the human body that we
must note a point before we begin.
The fact that a hormone can activate a cell is in itself a wonder because,
in order for a hormone to affect this cell, it must activate the inner
systems of the cell. This happens either by attaching to a receptor on
the membrane of the cell, or by direct entry into the cell and activating
a mechanism inside. But in each case, it is necessary that the hormone
molecule be specially designed for the cell it will act on. If there is
the slightest incompatibility in the structure of the hormone molecule
and its receptor, the cell will not be affected. For this reason, the
relation between the hormone and the receptor on the cell it affects has
been compared to a lock and a key.
Thanks to its flawless design, the cortisol hormone can affect the
liver cells just as it affects the capillary vessels. This is compared
to a lock-and-key relationship with the cells. |
When we examine the effects of cortisol, we discover a very important
fact. God has created security systems in the human body and He has placed
locks in the cells of each of these different security systems; only a
single key can open these locks. For example, this key can be inside a
capillary cell, or it can also be in a liver cell. This allows different
cells to go into concerted action towards a common goal. No doubt, this
is an example of God's artistry in creation; it is also a proof of the
evolutionist deceit. The fact that different cells are programmed to work
together towards a common goal, and that there is a central system that
makes this program work, shows once again the invalidity of the myth of
chance as proposed by the theory of evolution.
The cortisol hormone works inside the human body fighting on different
fronts against pain, wounds, infection, overheating, hypothermia, allergies,
lack of oxygen, hunger, and factors that increase body temperature.
As we examine the functions of cortisol, we must not forget that unconscious
cells that cannot know where it will be used produce this hormone. These
cells can never be consciously aware of the fronts on which cortisol fights.
Now, let us examine briefly the functions performed by this wonder called
"cortisol" produced in the adrenal glands, and let us see once again how
the artistry of God is manifested in the aspects of the human body. At
each stage, ask yourself if this system could have come into being by
evolution, and the answer will show the real nature of the theory of evolution.
The Functions of Cortisol
- It takes measures in advance to heal wounds:
Adrenaline prepares a person for the moment of danger,
whereas cortisol prepares the human body for what is likely to happen
after the danger has passed. For example, it mobilizes the amino acids
to go into action in the case of a wound.29 At the
moment a wound occurs, these amino acids are the raw materials that will
be used in the reconstruction of the tissue.
- It reduces the sense of pain when a wound occurs:
When a person is injured, the cortisol hormone goes into action without
his knowing it. |
This is the reason that some people do not feel pain
at the time they receive a wound (and even for some time afterwards).30
As a result, a person can find the strength to defend himself, run away,
or fight even though he has been wounded.
The sense of pain is communicated by the nerve cells. But how do the
cells that produce the cortisol know the mechanism that slows down, and
partially stops the electrical impulses of the nerve cells?
- In times of emergency it converts fats and proteins into
sugar:
In order for body and brain cells to be nourished, sugar is required;
all cells need a continuous supply of sugar, otherwise, the person will
soon die.
When someone is hungry, if there are no nutrients from
which sugar can be obtained, the amount of sugar in the blood will drop.
In this situation, cortisol comes into play and does not allow the body
to remain without sugar. It ensures the conversion of stored fats and
proteins into sugar, keeping the level of blood sugar within safe limits.31
There are highly efficient refineries within tiny cells converting
fat to sugar. |
Fat or protein (or both) are converted to sugar. This function is really
highly complex. To change one material into another is to completely alter
the composition of the molecules. If a fat molecule or a protein molecule
were enlarged trillions of times and placed on a table, most persons would
not know which atoms had to exchange places with others. However, inside
the cells are refineries that accomplish this change through a very complex
operation. The cortisol hormone knows the stages in the process of this
change. It is designed to open the lock that will allow this change to
begin. How do the cells that produce cortisol know the shape of the key
required to start the operation that will convert fat or protein to sugar?
How do they know what operation is needed to convert the formula of the
fat molecule (CH3-(CH2)n-COOH) into the formula
of the sugar molecule (CH2OH)?
- In emergencies it gives priority to the nourishment of the
brain and heart:
Cortisol molecules go into operation in emergencies
and produce a drop in the body's utilization of sugar. But here is another
wonder; the effect of the emergency is not felt on vital organs such as
the brain and the heart. To give an analogy, just as in times of emergency,
economic resources are deployed in particular areas of a nation, so the
cortisol molecules give a mobilization order and give priority to the
nourishment of the heart and the brain, curtailing the nourishment of
other cells.32
How do cortisol molecules know that some cells are more vital than others?
? It arranges the contraction and constriction of the blood vessels:
Earlier we saw that blood vessels are not rigidly fixed
pipes, but because the muscles around them can contract and relax, the
diameter of the vessels can be changed when the need arises. The command
to become narrow reaches the blood vessels by means of various hormones.
Cortisol arranges the response of the blood vessels to the constricting
and dilating factors that affect them, and thus performs another important
function in emergencies.33
How does cortisol know the system according to which the muscles around
the blood vessels contract, and how can it organize the response of these
vessels to the contraction-dilation factors of the system?
- It checks the movement of water:
Cortisol prevents fluid from entering cells when it is not required.
Thus, it helps to maintain the stability of the blood volume. How does
a cortisol molecule know that fluid has a tendency to enter the cells?
And how does it know the methods required to keep the fluid outside? More
importantly, how does it determine when fluid must be kept outside the
cells, not all the time, but just at those times when it is necessary?
- In times of danger, to prevent a rise in body temperature,
it inhibits the production of the relevant hormone:
Another wonderful effect of the cortisol hormone is seen in the case
of high fever. A rise in body temperature is a sign that the human body
is fighting an illness. This rise in temperature requires that a person
rest and sleep. The rise in temperature is not a side effect of the sickness;
fever is a specially adjusted security precaution to force a person who
is fighting an illness to rest. The rise in temperature is caused by the
"temperature center" in the brain, which is activated by a substance called
IL-1 (interleukin).
Cortisol is also designed to deal with excessive body
temperature. When a person is in danger of death due to high body temperature,
cortisol lowers the temperature by inhibiting the production of IL-1,
which activates the temperature center.34
How does cortisol know that IL-1 raises a person's body temperature and
that high body temperature is dangerous for a human being? How does it
know where IL-1 is produced and how does it make a decision to inhibit
its production?
A rise in body temperature is caused by the temperature center in
the brain. A complex molecule called IL-1 activates this center. If
a condition becomes a threat, cortisol stops the secretion of this
material. |
- It organizes the production of some proteins, which are very
important for human life:
When you are in a difficult situation, cortisol takes
all your needs into account separately, one by one. It increases the production
of hemoglobin, white corpuscles, and thrombocytes in the bone marrow and
thereby raises their blood levels.35
A single molecule too small for the eye to detect has a number of particularities,
skills and responsibilities. For this molecule to perform its functions,
it must have been specially designed for these special tasks. This hormone
is another instance of the harmony and flawless design in God's creation.
... My Lord encompasses all things in His knowledge so will you not pay
heed? (Qur'an, 6: 80) |
