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YOU ARE AMAZING! T h e B a r e F a c t s Islamic Research Bureau You are Amazing! The Human Body The Bare Facts 1st Edition 1420 A.H. Rabiul-Thani / 1999 C.E. August Revised Edition 1421 A.H. Rabiul-Thani 2000 C.E. July Published By: – IRB – Islamic Research Bureau Contact - [email protected] “...interesting, inspiring, and fascinating facts about the human body.” This Publication contains Sacred Quranic Verses. Please keep in a respectable place, and please do not throw or trash. Either re-circulate or discard in a proper manner. © 1999 - 2006 IRB All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, by any means or by any form, without the prior permission in writing from the Publisher. Exceptions are allowed in respect of any fair dealing for the purpose of review, research or private study. CONTENTS FOREWORD 1 Secrets of Your Body... The Greatest Story Of Them All THE BARE FACTS Blood Red Blood Cells White Blood Cells Human Cells Circulatory System (Heart) Kidney Skin Sensors Bacteria & Us Eyes Tears Ears Teeth & the Tongue Nose Brain Saliva Bones & Joints Muscles Intestines Lungs Digestion Liver Essential Ingredients General Information Reproduction Breast-Feeding 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 13 13 14 16 FINAL WORD 19 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 20 BIBLIOGRAPHY 20 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 20 YOU ARE AMAZING! T H E H U M A N B O D Y - FOREWARD - And in the earth are signs for those who believe, and (also) in yourselves. Can you then not see? (Glorious Qur’aan 51 : 20-1) Behold! In the creation Of the heavens and the earth, And the alteration Of Night and Day There are indeed Signs For men of understanding. (Glorious Qur’aan 3 : 190) SECRETS OF YOUR BODY... THE GREATEST STORY OF THEM ALL I t starts with just two cells; the biggest in the human body and one of the smallest, namely an egg and a sperm. When they meet, the story of the human can begin. Verily We created Man from a drop Of mingled sperm... (Glorious Qur’aan 76 : 2) When you look at your body you probably do not notice what a stupendous factory and laboratory it is. In fact, breathing is an astounding chemical event by itself. Oxygen, which is taken from the air, is used in the burning process of the body, and exhaled out of the body as carbon dioxide. As for digestion, it functions like a factory. After the food and the drink taken through the mouth are decomposed and digested in the stomach and bowels, the parts useful to the body are percolated in the small intestines and transfused into the blood, while the dregs are excreted through the bowels. This extraordinary process is done automatically with the utmost precision, resulting in the body working like a factory. The human body does not only contain apparatuses producing various kinds of substances with intricate formulas affecting various chemical reactions, treating illnesses, purifying, annihilating poisons, curing boils, filtering different kinds of substances, and giving energy. The body also embodies an immaculate network of electricity, leverage, an electronic computer, an alarm system, an optical set, an apparatus for receiving sounds, an apparatus for making and controlling pressure, and a system for fighting against microbes to annihilate them. And the heart is a stupendous, ever-working pump. Our body never rests even during sleep. We remain blissfully ignorant as our temperature is regulated, acidity and water balance controlled, invading bacteria dealt with, worn out tissues are replaced and wounds healed, cells are fed and their waste products removed. A thousand times a second, chemical battles are waged on behalf of our continued existence, but we remain blissfully ignorant. 1 Calculations done by specialists scientists in universities across the globe have clearly indicated that the value of various rare hormones, enzymes, the organic preparations, which the human body produces incessantly, is at least worth millions of dollars. If we were to attempt to make an apparatus that would produce such valuable substances automatically and in precise order, all the money in the world would not finance its accomplishment. Despite all our activities and achievements in science, nearly everything our bodies do is a secret from us. In reality, what we see as the normal monotony of living, in which nothing much happens for most of the time, is the result of an intricate balancing act of which we are almost completely ignorant. Even when we think we are relaxing, say sitting down to read a book, our body is vigilant and busy. Nerve endings in the skin send signals to the brain to ensure we are sitting comfortably in the chair, and we absent-mindedly tug at the cushions until the messages say our position is satisfactory. Meanwhile another part of the brain is processing input from our eyes, converting the little arrangements of ink on the white page into words. Somewhere else again the words are given meanings, and the idea put down by the book are passed on. Young or old, male or female, black or white, we all have the unifying feature of a body. And among His signs Is the creation of the heavens And the earth, and the variations In your languages And your colours: verily In that are signs For those who know. (Glorious Qur’aan 30 : 22) Human beings are arguably the most complex organisms on the planet. We are all built to the same basic plan, yet we all are different - everybody is an individual. This publication concentrates upon the wonders of the human body. These are amazing, or rather, each one of us is AMAZING! We have indeed created man In the best of moulds. (Glorious Qur’aan 95 : 4) 2 Al-Khaaliq (The Creator) Almighty is the one who creates from nothing, creating at the same time the states, conditions and sustenance of all that He has created: He establishes how, when and where creation will take place. Al-Baari (One Who Gives Life) He is the one who orders His creation with perfect harmony - not only each thing within itself, but everything in accordance with everything else. Al-Musawwir - (Fashioner Of Shapes) He is the one who, without using any model, shapes everything in the most perfect shape. Al-Mubdi - (The Originator) Almighty is the originator of all. He creates without model or material. Al-Muhyi - (The Giver Of Life) Almighty is the giver of life to things without life. Al-Waali - (One Who Exercises Responsibility Over All Things) Almighty is the sole manager and governor of the whole creation. An-Naafi - (One Who Confers Benefits) Almighty is the creator of good. Almighty has created man as the best of his creation and He has bestowed upon him gifts which render him unique and superior to the rest of creation. Al-Badi - (The Deviser) Almighty is the Originator of the creation, having created it without model or material. He does not need previous knowledge to think, to first investigate, to figure things out. Everything He creates is a wonder since He originated it from nothing. 3 T H E B A R E F A C T S BLOOD 60% of blood is composed of plasma. (Plasma is a coloured liquid (yellow) made of about 90% water that carries various molecules throughout the blood stream). Blood is slightly alkaline with pH. range of 7.35 - 7.45. Blood is 4-5 times more dense than water. Blood taste salty, and smells metallic. An average human body contains 5-6 litres of blood (12 pints). At any one time 75% of blood is in the veins. 1000 miles of blood vessels keep constant flow of blood coursing through the body. Our blood is on 60,000 mile journey a day. (See Kidney section). Human vessels which, placed end to end would stretch almost 80,000 miles, divided into arteries; capillaries and veins. RED BLOOD CELLS There are 25 trillion red blood cells in an average adult body. Red blood cells are formed within the bone marrow at a rate of approx. 2 - 3 million per second. The same number of red blood cells are also destroyed per second (200 billion in a day). In a tiny drop of blood (1 cubic millimetre), there are 5 million red blood cells, accounting for 40%-45% of the blood volume. An average healthy red cell lives approx. 120 days. After about 75,000 trips from between lungs and tissues, (lasting 120 days), the red cell dies. When a red cell matures it fills up with haemoglobin (a protein), which attracts then transports oxygen from the lungs to the tissues (which contain vital iron). There are approx. 300 million molecules of haemoglobin in a single human red blood cell. Each haemoglobin molecule is capable of holding 4 pairs of oxygen atoms. Each haemoglobin consists of 10,000 atoms that make up 4 intertwined amino acid chains. WHITE BLOOD CELLS White cells are larger than red blood cells. For every 1000 red blood cells, there are only 1 or 2 white blood cells. They are out numbered by 600-1. White cells are formed in the bone marrow and other tissues. White cells are responsible for defending the body against invaders such as viruses and bacteria. White cells actually mature in the bone and are responsible for releasing antibodies that fight invading foreign bodies. An average adult makes 200 billion new platelets every day. (Platelets are white cells with a special clotting formula) and attend to the injured blood vessels, and live for only 10 days. An adult produces roughly 100 billion neutrophils each day, (beside the hordes of basophils, eosinophils, and other white cells). Lymphocytes, exit the marrow at the rate of some 200,000 per second. Lymphocytes cells multiply into plasma cells, each of which mass produce into anti-bodies at the rate of 2,000 per second. 4 HUMAN CELLS Every type of tissue in the body, from bones and brain to muscles and skin, is made of cells. A human body contains between 100 trillion cells, (inc. blood cells). On average 6 trillion reactions take place in each cell every second. A million such cells would occupy a space no larger than the ‘dot’ at the end of this sentence. When a number of similar cells work together, they are called a tissue, a collection of tissues is called an organ. C I R C U L A T O R Y S Y S T E M - (HEART) The heart is 5 In. high, 3 In. wide and 2½ In. from front to back. Millions of tiny electrical nerve signals flash around the body every second, instructing and coordinating muscle activity around the heart and body. An average healthy heart beats 70-80 times a minute. A healthy heart pumps between 5 quarts of blood per minute. (1 quart = 2 pints) = 10 pints of blood per minute. The above two points are equivalent to 100,000 heartbeats per day, and 2,000 gallons (7,600 litres) of blood pumped per day. In a lifetime, the heart will (contract) beat 2.5 billion times. During exercise the heart beat and blood circulation is increased fivefold (x5). Total surface area of capillaries totals 6,000 sq. yards larger than a football field. Keeping the heart beating takes up 10% of the body’s total energy budget. Humans have what is known as a double circulation, meaning that blood passes through the heart twice. First it is sent to the lungs to collect oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide. From there it returns to the heart and is pumped at high pressure out into the arterial system. KIDNEY The kidney is roughly 4 In. high, 3 In. wide and 2 In. from front to back and weighs about 5 ounces. The left kidney is ½ inch higher than the right. The kidney performs a masterly balancing act. They balance fluid levels in the body, such as acid/alkaline, concentrations of salt, minerals, water and other substances. The kidneys work through the medium of blood. Blood flows everywhere in the body, fetching and carrying, distributing and collecting. Part of the circulation is through the kidneys and there it is balanced, filtered, purified, cleaned and adjusted. Like a treatment plant, non-stop. Unwanted substances are then disposed of via the bladder. For the filtering process, hundreds of pints of fluid and dozens of chemicals are involved. On average the kidneys filter the body’s blood some 60 times a day. The renal arteries supply blood to the kidneys. The flow is an astounding 750 - 1,000 pints daily, approaching ¼ of the hearts output, and roughly equal to the body’s entire blood volume circulating through the kidneys 20 times each hour. However, only one to two thousandths of the blood flow emerges at the end as urine. The average production of urine is just 2 ½-3 pints. The bladder holds ½ pint of urine. Kidney filters up to 350 pints of water and solutes from the blood each day. Each kidney has more than 1 million small filtering units called nephrons, which process chemical wastes and excess water in the body, which then produces urine. If these nephrons were uncoiled and joined end to end, they would stretch for 50 miles. Even when the total blood flow varies widely, because of dehydration or blood loss, the flow rate through the kidney’s remains intact at 120 pints per hour. This process shows 5 the importance to the body, as the job of the kidney is vital, and that it must continue. More than any other organ, the kidney determines the composition of blood, and, in turn, the balance of the internal environment. Daily water loss: 1 pint through breath; 3 pints through urine; and 1 pint through perspiration. 80% of water filtered out of the blood is reabsorbed, including vital substances such as, glucose; amino acids; minerals; salts; sodium; chlorides; and phosphates. The kidney is selective in the process of filtering We never care to think for a moment of the importance of the kidneys. If by chance the kidneys were damaged and due to medical reasons removed, then we would have to be linked up to a dialysis machine to filter our blood. This process would need to be carried out some 3-4 times a weeks and take some 14 hours at a time. BE GRATEFUL! SKIN The skin is sensitive to touch, heat and pain, and sheathes the body as a protective barrier against disease-causing germs. Skin amounts to 12% of the body’s weight. Skin is the largest and heaviest organ, weighing 3.25kg. Peeled off it could occupy about 1.9 sq. meters (20 sq. ft). Even after you’ve finished with it, there’s plenty: 90% of house dust consists of dead skin, enough to fill eight 5lb. flour bags during lifetime. The human skin consists of 7 layers - each tightly packed, acting as a waterproof jacket. The skin also has sweat glands, around 2 million, that cools the body and glands that lubricate the body with necessary oils, which provide oil for the hair and outer skin. The glands produce what is called sebum, a mixture of waxes, fatty acids, cholesterol and debris of dead cells. Sebum is unique, which coats both hair and skin with a water- proof shield that helps insulate the body from rain and cold. The body has a set temperature (98.6°F), if it differs by 1.5° then the body restores it to appropriate temperature, by mechanisms controlled in the brain. The skin also helps by regulating the amount of heat loss. The sweat that dampens the brow comes from eccrine glands. Spread over the body and they number 2 - 3 million. The output can total as much as 3 gallons a day in hot weather. Extremely sensitive finger-tips, and the whorls, loops and ridges of finger prints (unique to every individual) helps gripping and contribute to human skill. Does man think that We (Almighty Lord) Cannot assemble his bones? Nay, We are able to put Together in perfect order The very tips of his fingers. (Glorious Qur’aan 75 : 3-4) SENSORS Our sense of touch is more refined than any device ever created. In 1 sq. Inch of our hand, we have: 9 ft. of blood vessels; 600 pain sensors; 30 hairs; 13 yards of nerves; 9000 nerve endings; 36 heat sensors; and 75 pressure sensors. Each foot contains some 9,000 nerve endings. 6 Those who reject Our Signs, We shall soon cast them into the fire: As often as their skins are roasted through. We shall change them for fresh skin, that they may taste the penalty (of fire)... (Glorious Qur’aan 4 : 56) The number of cold receptors varies from one region of the body to the next. The skin on the lips contains about 20 times more cold receptors than the skin on the chest or legs. BACTERIA & US Human skin appears lifeless to the naked eye. But the number of living organisms on a person’s skin roughly equals the number of people on the planet. Approx. 600 million bacteria live on our skin. 500,000 live on the skin of armpits - per sq. Inch. 12,000 live on our forearm - per sq. Inch. Saliva contains 6 different types of bacteria. If bacteria escape to another part of the body, it can cause infection. One of the largest residents of the skin lives in the hair follicles of the eyelashes, nose, chin and scalp. A narrow, worm-like mite lives most of its life in the hair follicle. EYES The eyes are the most complex organ in the body. Vision is a dominant sense organ, but only just over 1% of the brains cortex is actually concerned with sight. Each eyeball weighs 7 grams. There are 450 hairs in an average eyebrow. The eye muscles move about more than 100,000 a day to bring objects into focus. We would have to walk 80 km. to give our leg muscles similar exercise. The retina of the eye is made up of about 130 million light sensitive cells (rods), which detect light intensity. Each eye contains 6.5 million cone cells, which respond specifically to colour variation. Our eyes can distinguish up to 1 million colour surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man. About 1 million nerve fibres lead from each eye to the visual cortex of the optical lobe. Have We not made For him a pair of eyes?-(Glorious Qur’aan 90 : 8) With 2 million fibres from both retinas leading to the 100 million neurones within the primary visual cortex, and with that cortex only the first stage in the brain’s management of optical information. With only one eye it would be impossible to judge distance. Eyes are an important element in co-ordinating the other functions of the body. 10 images are captured every second onto the retina. 6 muscles direct the movement and anchor the eyeball securely in place. The pupil is the front surface of the eye’s lens; it always looks black because it is an opening that leads into the dark centre of the eye. The lens is held in place by 70 fine ligaments. Each eye is held in place by 3 pairs of taut, elastic muscles constantly balancing each other’s pull. 7 TEARS On average a human will use 65 litres of tears in their life span. Tear’s comes through 6 tubes. A single tear contains 24 different ingredients (including sugar; salt; and anti-bacteria). Tears contain a mild antibacterial agent, lysozyme, which provides the eye with additional protection against harmful bacteria in the air. (Crying is therefor beneficial to the eye and also known to relieve body tension). EARS Hearing is very sensitive and can distinguish between hundreds of thousands of different sounds. It is He Who brought you Forth from the wombs Of your mothers when Ye knew nothing; and He Gave you hearing and sight And intelligence and affection; That ye may give thanks. (Glorious Qur’aan 16 : 78) Probably the smallest bone found in the human body (within the middle ear cavity), known as the malleus, incus and stapes (also known as ‘stirrup’ bone), 3 joints - size of a rice grain situated just behind the ear drum. The bones sit in the middle ear cavity, an air filled hole some 8mm wide and 4mm deep. The middle ear mechanism is a miracle of living engineering. ...In order to try him; So we gave him (the gifts) Of hearing and sight. (Glorious Qur’aan 76 : 2) The stirrup touches the oval window at the entrance to the inner ear and transfers the energy of the sound wave to the fluid in the cochlea, a spiral tube set within the skull bone. The bones are connected to the brain. Their task is to pass on sound vibrations from the eardrum to the nerves of the inner ear, which in turn pass the details to the brain. Before the details are passed on to the brain, the sound vibrations are distributed into sound tubes approx. 1.5 million in each ear. The sound tubes (under a microscope) are found to be lined up in 4 rows. Under a normal microscope they appear to look like hairs, but when enlarged further the tubes are hollow, (which make different vibrations). The organ of corti (inner ear) is the receptor for sound waves, measuring oscillations between 20 and 20,000 cycles per second. Say: “It is He Who Has created you, and made For you the faculties Of hearing, seeing, feeling and understanding: Little thanks it is ye give. (Glorious Qur’aan 67 : 23) The organ of balance - the vestibular apparatus or labyrinth - exists within the inner ear, which consists of three distinct sensory systems. There are three semi-circular canals, each filled with fluid and each set in a different plane. All three act as a receptor system, with the contained fluid accelerating or decelerating, enabling the brain to detect and record head movement. Secondly, there are the saccule and utricle. They possess chalky particles (otoliths or ear dust) which respond to gravity (like ‘snowstorm’ toys which, when shaken, resemble snow 8 falling on a village scene). The particles come to rest upon sensitive hairs, enabling the organ’s to know which way is up and down. TEETH & THE TONGUE The enamel that forms the outer surface of the tooth is the hardest substance in the body, (even harder than bone, see page 10). An adult will have 32 teeth in a complete set. This will include molars, pre molars, canine and incisors. The human tooth has about 55 miles of canals in it. The teeth are adaptable to both meat and vegetarian meals. The flat-topped molars are better at grinding; the front teeth or incisors are good for cutting; and the canines are used for gripping and tearing. TONGUE A mobile muscle - the tongue - itself a powerful muscle. It is covered by the lingual membrane, which is specialised in places to detect the flavour of food. The tongue is one of the most versatile organs in the human body. Its muscles allows a range of complex movements for chewing, sucking and swallowing. The furry surface of the tongue contains many thousands of papillae (mounds - lined up next to each other). Each papillae is covered with taste buds, around 250 in number. The taste buds are buried in the surface layer of the papillae. Each taste buds in-turn contains some 30-80 receptor cells. The tongue is richly supplied with nerves, enabling it to manipulate food in the mouth. It also helps shape the sounds of speech. Speech, a brilliant means of communication that has shaped human achievements more than any other factor. Speech, a power of expression; capacity to understand and to explain. He created man. He taught him eloquent speech. (Glorious Qur’aan 55 : 3-4) Have We not made For him a pair of eyes?-And a tongue, And a pair of lips? (Glorious Qur’aan 90 : 8-9) Sound, which comes through vocal cords, are folds of tissue. These folds create a wedgeshaped opening in the larynx. All air to and from the lungs goes through this hole - 17mm long in men and 12mm in women. NOSE A nose contains nerve cells that can identify 10,000 different odours. The hair, which is found in the nose, acts as a personal ventilation system, purifying the air as we breath, (filtering impurities). In addition, the sticky mucus lining the nasal cavity behind the nose also entraps airborne matter. The nose warms the blood supply to nostrils and nasal cavity and passes heat to incoming air. The nose warms cold air & cools hot air. The nose humidifies and dampens the air-stream. These built-in features deliver air more suited to the lung environment. Besides the tongue (taste), the nose can also detect (smells) fragrance. Viewed through an electron microscope the olfactory membrane looks like a plate of spaghetti in a sticky sauce. The hair strands are olfactory cilia, growing out from receptor cells. Each receptor cell - there may be as many as 10 million of them - each ending in a tiny 9 swelling, which has about 5 olfactory hairs growing out of it. Smell receptor cells have a short working life (due to being clogged up by absorbed odour molecules) - they function for about a month and are constantly replaced. 10 million receptor cells are connected to only 2,000 glomeruli (or digital decoders). They then divide and divide again (into neurones) passing on information to deeper regions of the brain. The whole system is like the binary code in a digital computer, where the arrangement can allow a total of around 16 million permutations (variations), giving plenty of scope for the identification of individual odours. B R A I N The brain, the most critical organ of all, is also the most demanding of oxygen. It uses 20% of the body’s oxygen intake but accounts for only 2% of body weight, (3lbs.) A brain has 1,400cc (cubic cm) capacity, and weighs about 1.4kg (3lb). Our brain is more complex than the most powerful computer. An entire brain only creates about 20 watts of power - but each firing has to be sufficient to energise the next cell, group of cells, which is done via chemical reaction at each nerve ending. Our brain is 80% water. On average the brain contains 12 billion neurones (nerve cells). The number has also been estimated at a staggering 100 billion nerve cells. Each neurone has about 15,000 connection points, creating an extensive network of potential brain pathways. Within this bewildering network the brain is responsible for our intelligence. Electrical impulse messages are sent to the brain at approx. 250mph from around the body (or 400 ft. per second). The brain is covered in a ¼ In. thick membrane (cover). If lifted off the brain, unfolded and spread out, it would cover an area of about 2.5 sq. ft. and weighs 20 ounces. SALIVA The average human being produces 3 pints of saliva a day. That is almost 8,000 gallons during the course of an average life span. Saliva is found to be acidic, which helps to break down the food and ease the digestive process. Saliva is also found to be anti-septic, and can be applied to cuts to regulate bacteria. Food is masticated with saliva, a watery fluid rich in starch breaking enzyme, amylase, which lubricates the process of chewing and swallowing. 3 glands on each side of the mouth release copious quantities when stimulated by smell, taste or thought of food. BONES & JOINTS At birth, babies have about 350 individual bones, but the number reduces with age as they form together. An adult human body contains 206 bones and 360 joints The strength of the bone is unique. Bone is among the strongest materials devised by nature. One cubic Inch can withstand loads of at least 19,000 lbs. - about the weight of 5 ordinary pickup trucks. That is roughly four times the strength of concrete. Bone seems even more remarkable considering its lightness. The skeleton accounts for only 14% of the total body weight (20lbs.). Steel bars in comparison would weigh five times as much. Bone, ounce for ounce, is actually stronger than steel, aluminium and reinforced concrete. Adult bone is made up of 70% calcium and phosphate crystals and 30% protein, mostly in the form of collagen fibres. 10 Bones are not completely solid, but are honeycombed with channels and spaces. The spine has 33 small bones; scull 22 bones; ribs 24 bones; wrist 8 bones each; hand 5 bones each; fingers 14 bones; ankle 7 bones each; and toes 14 bones. 12 pairs of ribs encircle and protect the organs of the chest. Bones, when broken, heals itself without scarring - a characteristic that sets it apart from nearly all other tissues in the body. Light, yet strong, and seemingly simple in structure, the skeleton (bones) is a masterpiece of architecture. The human hand is capable of both brute strength and incredible finesse. It carries out hard labour yet is sensitive to nuances of texture and form, so much so that it can serve as a substitute eye to the blind. The hand has 27 small bones, moved by 37 skeleton muscles that are connected to the bones by tendons. The knee is probably the most ingenious (skilful) joint in the skeleton, but it is also one of the most vulnerable. Four major ligaments binding the joint and 13 muscles supporting it provide the stability. The human skeleton (bones) is built with the strength of an oak, yet it can also bend with a sapling’s ease. It surrounds and protects the organs, supports the body and, bound muscles, bestows the grace of movement. Without bones the human would find movement impossible. It provides a base for attaching muscles and the leverage to assist in their pulling. Each finger is independent rather than as a clumsy bunch, which is a key part of human dexterity. Each foot has 26 bones, more than 100 ligaments and 33 muscles. MUSCLES Muscles account to 40% of a man’s weight and 23% in women. There are 600 muscles in a human body, and skeleton muscle is the body’s most abundant tissue. Within a second millions of electric impulses reach the motor neurones sent from the brain, activating the muscles Each muscle is surrounded by 12 muscle fibres. Each fibre is filled by tiny fibres, some several thousands in number. 200 muscles are exercised whilst taking one step/walking. 30 muscles are exercised when we smile and 75 muscles exercised when we make conversation Walking not only requires appropriate nerve connections and musculature, but also balance. A standing person can fall in any direction; forwards, backwards or sideways, but as soon as the person begins to fall, reflex compensatory muscular reactions set in, which restore the state of balance. The muscular contraction then ceases till the next deviation from the erect position occurs. (Read about the ‘organ of balance’ in the ear section, page 8). INTESTINES An average adult body has 7 metres (23ft) of intestines. The intestine does not float freely inside the abdomen. If it did, there would have been every chance that it could twist and knot, blocking the passage of food. Instead it is ‘bolted’ to the inside of the rear wall of the abdomen by a tissue structure. The intestine, if cut open would cover a staggering 250 sq. yards. L U N G S The lungs supply oxygen to the blood, and remove carbon dioxide and discharges it via breathing. 11 The movements of breathing are automatic. On average we take 14 breaths a minute (500 million or more breaths in a life-time), taking in ¾ of pint of air with each breath. Some 790 gallons overnight (2,990 litres). (This is multiplied 20x during exercise). Out of 10½ pints of air each minute, 3¾ pints of oxygen enters the body and 3½ pints of carbon dioxide is removed from the body. Not all of the carbon dioxide is disposed. Some of it is left behind in the body and enter a chain of chemical reactions that help maintain the balance of acidic and basic substances in the blood. Our lungs inhale over 2 million litres of air every day. Besides the nose, the lungs also purify the air as we breathe. Millions of countless of tiny hair-like cilia gather dust from the air, and at times we need to clear our throat from mucus. There are more than 350-700 million branches of air passages (air pockets) in each lung, called alveoli, which are neatly folded into the chest cavity. This would cover an area of between 30ft. by 25ft. (the size of a tennis court), or an area of 50-100 sq. yards. At any one time 1/5th of the blood volume will be within the lungs. DIGESTION The chemical breakdown of foods into their component substances - begins in the mouth with the action of enzymes in saliva and continues along the length of the digestive tract. Carbohydrates end up as glucose, proteins are broken down into their component amino acids, and fats become fatty acids. Each is used to fuel the metabolic process, providing energy or building new tissues. The system that performs this complex cascade of chemistry is in essence a tube (from the mouth to the intestine), more than 30ft. long. About 1/6th of the body weight consists of protein, which make up the main part of tissues such as muscles, skin, hair and nails. Only one leverage (trapdoor) separates the oesophagus (gullet) and trachea (windpipe). The whole process of swallowing is controlled by a series of reflexes that ensure food and liquids pass smoothly into the next region of the digestive tract. We swallow hundreds of times each day, hardly ever bothering to think about it, yet each event is a potential disaster if food goes down ‘the wrong way’. The stomach produces between 2-3 pints of “gastric juices” (acid) which helps to break down food, kill germs and other such uses. In short, the process of digestion begins in the mouth, via teeth and saliva where food is broken down into smaller elements. Then it is passed down in to the stomach via the oesophagus. The food is met by acid, which helps the digestive process to breakdown the food into even smaller molecules. These food molecules are then shipped to the next port of call, the liver. LIVER The liver is the body’s central ‘food processor’. Chemically it is extremely active. Within the liver, the food molecules are involved in a complex system where chemicals are broken down and separated from useful to unwanted. These are then stored or discarded. The liver is known to have 14 different functions. The liver is the body’s largest gland and the largest internal organ, and weighs over 3lbs. Liver at rest accepts blood supply of 2 ½ pints each minute. Some 30% of the blood pumped by the heart in one-minute pass through the liver. Inside the liver are 100,000 tiny hexagonal units, the lobules. These are loaded with newly absorbed nutrients transferred to the blood and distributed to all tissues as food. The liver (is also known as a recycle factory). On one hand it deals with nutrients arriving 12 from the intestines, and converts glucose to glycogen and stores it. The liver also converts toxic substances to harmless waste products. Bile is produced in the liver, and stored in the gallbladder. The liver is also used in manufacturing vital chemicals for the body, such as cholesterol. Certain amino acids are recycled to produce a new substance such as protein. Chemical waste then enters the bloodstream to be filtered later by the kidneys and excreted out as urine. ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS There are 24 different elements in a human body, which includes hydrogen and oxygen combining to form water. Water accounts for two-thirds (70%) of the body weight, (40 litres of water). Do not the unbelievers see that...We made from water every living thing, Will they not then believe? (Glorious Qur’aan 21 : 30) It is He (Almighty) Who created man from water ...for your Lord has power (over all things) (Glorious Qur’aan 25 : 54) 25 litres of water are inside the cells, 15 outside (12 in tissue fluid, and 3 in blood plasma). A loss of 4 litres may cause hallucinations; a loss of 8-10 litres may cause death. About 1.5 litres a day are lost through breathing, perspiration, and faeces. People cannot survive without water for two or three days in a hot environment. There is enough carbon in a human body to make 9,000 pencils. There are four main elements in a human: water; earth; fire; and oxygen. He (Almighty) it is Who created You from clay, and then Decreed a stated term... (Glorious Qur’aan 6 : 2) We created man from sounding clay! From mud moulded into shape. (Glorious Qur’aan 15 : 26) The following have also been identified in a human body: carbon; nitrogen; calcium; phosphorus; sulphur; potassium; chlorine; sodium; magnesium; boron; fluorine; manganese; iron; cobalt; copper; zinc; selenium; molybdenum; and iodine. Human body is a collection of chemicals: 10% protein; 10% fat; 1% sugar; and 75% water. The body contains enough iron to make a nail. The body contains enough phosphorus for the heads of 2,000 matches. The body contains enough fat for seven bars of soap. GENERAL INFORMATION There are about 53 million deaths a year, (100 deaths every minute). On average of 75 yrs. (or some 27,375 days, or 2,365,200,000 seconds) we will spend five solid years eating and drinking to fuel an amazing machine; 10 years will be spent talking; feet will walk 14,000 miles; spend 22 years asleep; and consume 8,000 gallons of water. The lining of the gut is replaced every three days. The skin is continuously shedding dead cells as new ones push to the surface. The skeleton changes its cellular make-up completely every 7 years. 13 Very little of our bodies is 10 years old. An average scalp has about 100,000 hairs, each growing from its follicle. Scalp hair on average grows about a 1 cm a month, or third of a mm a day. If this total is multiplied by the number of follicles, a formidable 12km of hair is grown annually by the scalp alone. Adults lose about 70-100 hairs a day. It has been estimated that it takes 200,000 frowns to make a brow line. Nails grow at the rate of 0.1 mm per day. In one year this amounts to approximately 3 feet). Whether the lungs fail to obtain it, the heart stops pumping the blood that carries it, or the brain can no longer co-ordinate its delivery, if our tissues stop receiving oxygen we are dead. All organs, tissues and cells rely absolutely on oxygen. Without oxygen the body cannot burn food to release energy, and without energy the body winds down and stops. The air we breathe is almost 80% nitrogen. (Nitrogen 78% an Oxygen 21%). Sneezes can travel over 100 mph. The body has four routes for elimination of wastes. One is the skin, for removing certain salts and minerals. The second is the lungs, for getting rid of carbon dioxide and of water in vapour form. The third is the intestines, for removal of undigested leftovers from food. The fourth involves the principle excretory organs, the kidneys, which remove unwanted substances filtered from the blood. REPRODUCTION Every year some 280 million children are born. Humans have some 100,000 genes, which the infant inherits from its parents. Each gene consists of many thousands of chemical rungs. The whole library is carried in every cell, split into 46 units called chromosomes, (chromosomes that carry genetic information). Each cell contains 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs. The only exception are the sex (gender) cells, which contain only 23 unpaired chromosomes so that at conception, when the sperm and egg fuse they create one cell containing a full set of chromosomes. However, one pair - the gender chromosomes differ from the others in that they are not always identical. In women the gender chromosome consists of two identical ‘XX’ chromosomes and the male consists of one ‘X’ and one ‘Y’ chromosome. [If the male sperm is carrying the ‘X’ chromosome which then combines with the ‘X’ chromosome of the female (set of ‘XX’), thus resulting in the formation of a female. On the other hand if the sperm is carrying the ‘Y’ chromosome and then combines with the female ‘X’ chromosome, a set of (‘XY’), resulting in a male child. Hence, the male sperm always determines the gender of the new-born]. Every gene is made up of DNA molecules. Each cell in the body contains a nucleus, which contains genetic information that controls the activity of each cell. This information is encoded in the form of a substance called deoxyribonucleic acid, or ‘DNA’. A DNA molecule is very long; a minute and continuous spiral ladder that, in humans, is made up of about 5 billion pairs of nucleotide rungs. A single DNA molecule contains 10 billion characters, which represents about 20 billion bits of information. A single human DNA molecule equates to a library containing some 4,000 books – 500 pages each; enough to describe and define a person in perfect detail. He (Almighty) creates the pairs, male and female from a drop of semen when it is emitted. (Glorious Qur’aan 53 : 45-6) And He (Almighty) out of semen made both sexes, the male and female. (Glorious Qur’aan 75 : 39) 14 The testicle is a seething hive of constant activity. Each testicle contains 900 seminiferous tubules, coiled structures half a metre in length. During a lifetime, from puberty onward, one man may produce as many as 12 trillion sperms. A young adult man produces about 120 million sperm each day, and can survive at least a month. O Mankind...(consider) that We created you Out of dust, then out of Sperm, then out of a leech-like Clot, then out of a morsel Of flesh, partly formed And partly unformed, in order That We may manifest (Our Power) to you; And We cause whom We will To rest in the wombs For an appointed term, then do We bring you out As babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, And some are sent back To the feeblest old age.. (Glorious Qur’aan 22 : 5) Each sperm takes some 70 days to mature. It takes 80 drops of blood to make 1 drop of semen. So let man see from what he is created! He is created from water gushing forth... (Glorious Qur’aan 86 : 5-6) A male ejaculation contains around 200-400 million sperms but accounts to 10% of its volume. It is We Who have Created you: why will ye Not witness the Truth? Do ye then see? -The (human seed) that Ye throw out, -(Glorious Qur’aan 56 : 57-58) All the eggs a woman will ever produce develop in the ovary of the foetus, which has around 7 million potential eggs at mid-term. The early embryo receives nourishment (essential supplies of glucose, amino acids, water and vitamins) via the placenta and umbilical cord. Man We did create From a quintessence (of clay); Then We placed him As (a drop of) sperm In a place of rest Firmly fixed; Then We made the sperm Into a clot of congealed blood; then of the clot We made A (foetus) lump; then we made out of that lump Bones and clothed the bones With flesh; then We developed Out of it another creature. (Glorious Qur’aan 23 : 12-14) The placenta and umbilical cord hands over oxygen and takes away carbon dioxide. It serves as a dialysis machine, removing waste products, and acts as a gland by producing hormones. Pregnancy may last some 9½ months (40 weeks or 288 days). The embryo is covered in “three veils of darkness”, this refers to: (l) the anterior abdominal wall; (2) the uterine wall (uterus); and (3) the amniochorionic membrane 15 He created you (all) From a single Person...In stages, one after another, In three veils of darkness... (Glorious Qur’aan 39 : 6) It is He Who has created you from dust, Then from a spermdrop, Then from a leech-like clot; Then does He get you out (into the light) As a child; then lets you (Grow and) reach your age of full strength; then Lets you become old -- ...And lets you reach A Term appointed; In order that ye May learn wisdom (Glorious Qur’aan 40 : 67) And He (Almighty) out of semen made both male and female. Is He (Almighty) not then able to bring the dead back to life. (Glorious Qur’aan 75 : 39-40) Doth not man see That it is We (the Lord Almighty) Who Created him from sperm? Yet behold! he stands forth As an open adversary! (Glorious Qur’aan 36 : 77) He created you (all) From a single Person.... (Glorious Qur’aan 39 : 6) Woe to man! What hath made him reject Almighty? From what stuff Hath He created him? From a sperm drop: He hath created him, and then Mouldeth him in due proportion. (Glorious Qur’aan 80 : 17-19) The food composition (food chain) that goes into making our bodies what it is today is also something to ponder upon. Food that literally takes months to prepare and take so much of human resources and other factors in getting a single atom of food to us. Rice from Asia; wheat, soya and maize from North America; cocoa from South America; fruit and vegetables from Africa, the Mediterranean, Australasia and South America. Among His (Almighty’s) signs is this, That He created you From dust; and then -- Behold, ye are men Scattered (far and wide)! (Glorious Qur’aan 30 : 20) And among His signs Is this, that He created For you mates from among Yourselves, that ye may Dwell in tranquillity with them... (Glorious Qur’aan 30 : 21) BREAST - FEEDING The final topic that I would like to conclude this publication is by concentrating on the issue of ‘breast-feeding’. Over the past decade we have heard so much about the subject matter, and I thought it would in fact facilitate our understanding towards breast-feeding. 16 In today’s environment, choice made by us are governed very much by society and culture; the culture which place possession of materials, machines and individual freedom at a higher level than inter-human relations and which tries to devalue nature and to see natural processes as insufficient. In this enclave our children have become the victims from birth. Before discussing the benefits of breast-feeding, an interesting survey which was conducted on new mothers, to see why they choose to bottle-feed their new born babies. The reasons given include: A feeling of revulsion at the sight of breast-feeding. Embarrassment about breast-feeding. Fear of getting sore nipples and breast abscesses. Fear of getting tired. You cannot take the oral contraceptive pill and breast-feed. A need for greater freedom. With bottle-feeding it is possible to go to work. Fear of spoiling the shape of the breasts. In extremely rare cases, the infants with metabolic disorders, e.g. galactosaemia require artificial milk. One reads the reasons with astonishing disgust and a total disbelief at the selfish and ignorant attitude of our society towards breast-feeding, and possible neglect towards the child’s health. This is not only the fault of women but also men and especially the advisers of the mother-to-be. Islaam recommends and encourages breast-feeding, viz.: The Last Messenger, Muhammud (SAW) said: “No other milk is better for a child than the mother’s milk.” The Holy Qur’aan states: The mothers shall give suck To their offspring For two whole years,... (Glorious Qur’aan 2 : 233) Medical researches have found a chest full of bounties, to list but a few: Breasted babies show a greater resistance to infections. Immunoglobulin from breast milk and lymphocytes can produce interferon and protect babies from bacterial and viral infection. In epidemics of cholera, the breast-fed babies have had a lower mortality rate than bottle-fed babies. The general resistance in babies which have been breast-fed is due to increased numbers of Lactobacilli in the bowel lumen and consequently higher acidity in the colon which inhibits the growth of bacteria (E Coli). Necrotising Entercolites, a disorder of low birth weight babies occurs virtually in babies who have not been breast-fed. Inflammation of the middle ear is more common in the bottle-fed babies. Breast-fed babies rarely develop eczema and in some cases eczema only starts after breast-feeding has been stopped. Cot death of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SID) accounts for 50% of deaths a year in infants between the ages of 2 weeks and 2 years. In a study conducted in Northern Ireland, researches found that only 2 17 (Emod & Just 1974). (Cron et al). (Beagregard 1971). (Clarke 1973). out 169 deaths registered as SID were in breast-fed babies. In a similar study in Birmingham none out of 164 SID were in breast-fed babies. A baby’s cry triggers the release of milk by the breast. All mothers can produce sufficient milk to satisfy their infant’s needs. The mother’s milk is always available at the right temperature. An infant born prematurely can still receive rich nutrients via breast-feeding. The mother continues to supply antibodies through the breast milk, helping ward off disease until the baby’s own immune system takes over. Breast-feeding promotes the production of a clearer vitreous humour (the fluid in the eye). Less morbidity has been reported in babies that are breast-fed. Breast-feeding reduces dental problems. Breast milk when compared to other sources of milk is by far the most nutritious and found to be the best for the child. Initially, and before milk is produced, the mother’s breast produces colostrum, a deep-yellow liquid containing high levels of protein and anti-bodies that will help the infant resist the bacteria and viruses that cause illness. Breast-fed babies are five times less likely to become obese. (British Medical Journal, July 1999). Within the first four months of the child’s birth, its vital defence system against bacteria (the nervous system) is week. Too ward off bacteria, the mother’s milk comes into play as an antibacterial defence system. The milk is wholesome and full of antibodies. Not only are there advantages for the baby, but the mother also benefits from breast-feeding her baby: The incidence of deep venous thrombosis is significantly decreased in mothers who breastfeed as compared with non-lactating mothers. If the baby is put to the breast immediately after birth the expulsion of the placenta may be helped. During lactation there is some suppression of ovulation and in less developed countries this makes an important birth control method. It helps the uterus return to normal size. Some reports have claimed that breast-feeding may assist women to lose weight after pregnancy. In a recent report, in Britain the commonest site of cancer in women is the breast. The older women are at greater risk. The mothers who have breast-fed their babies are less likely to fall victim to this fatal cancer at a later date. But note, prolonged lactation does not protect against breast cancer. It conserves the body’s iron stores and protects against bone loss. Breast feeding also benefits the mother by reducing the risk of post-menopausal cancer. (Sunday Mirror, May 16th, 1999) The infant feeding while in the mothers’ arms looks compulsively at her and the behaviour may be linked to later verbal communication. Breast-feeding is the most persistent and intimate of the physical contact which occurs between a mother and her baby. Some studies show the verbal ability and both the educational and social achievement later in life may be related to the degree of intimacy and contact between mother and baby during the first day, week and months of life. We today can only measure physical and chemical advantages but surely the virtues of breastfeeding are beyond measurable items. Who can measure the virtues of respect, honour, piety, educational success and behavioural stability due to breast-feeding? What the human baby feels, listens to and looks at during breast-feeding is certainly different from what the infant lamb or calf experiences. Caressing arms, the sound of tranquil heart beat and loving looks may be more important than what we can imagine. 18 “A mother’s breast milk is the ultimate designer food for babies.....If it came in a bottle it would have a designer label. Only a mother can produce breast milk that is exclusively designed for her baby” (UK Health Minister, Sunday Mirror, May 16th, 1999) I FINAL WORD am afraid this book has far exceeded its initial plan, which was to write a couple of sides, but as I proceeded, it grew in volume and went beyond my original design. I therefore, have been obliged to conclude it at this point. I hope the reader has enjoyed the reading as I have enjoyed writing this publication. I hope this publication has in fact whetted the appetite of the readers, and will enable the reader to carry out their own research and reading in to this stupendous machine, known only as human. Say: “If the ocean were Ink (wherewith to write) The words of my Lord Almighty. Sooner would be the ocean be Exhausted, before the words Of my Lord Almighty be finished, even if We brought another ocean Like it, for its aid. (Glorious Qur’aan 18 : 109) O Mankind! We created You from a single (pair) Of male and female, And made you into Nations and tribes, that Ye may know each other (Not that ye may despise each other). Verily The most honoured of you In the sight of Lord (Almighty) Is the Righteous of you... (Glorious Qur’aan 49 : 13) It was We Who Created man, and We know What dark suggestions his soul Makes to him: for We Are nearer to him Than (his) jugular vein. (Glorious Qur’aan 50 : 16) IRB 29th Rabiul-Thani 1420 31st July 2000 The author and publisher will gladly welcome information enabling them to correct any error or omission in subsequent editions, and would be grateful to receive your comments, views, and any further fascinating facts about the human body to the following email address: [email protected] Islamic Research Bureau 19 GLOSSARY OF TERMS Alveoli Aorta Arteries Basophils Capillaries Glomerului Haemoglobin Molecule containing and Tiny air sacs in the lung where blood exchanges carbon dioxide for oxygen. Principle artery in the body; which carries blood from the heart to other arteries. Blood vessel that carries blood away from the heart. A type of white blood cell. Smallest blood vessel. Filtering units which process waste within the kidney transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide within red blood cells. Lymphocytes A white blood cell defending the body against viruses. Neutrophils Most common white blood cell, protecting the body against bacterial infection. Platelets Cell fragment found in the blood that plays a major role in clotting. Veins A vessel that carries deoxygenated blood toward the heart. BIBLIOGRAPHY The New York Public Library:- SCIENCE DESK REFERENCE BOOK Patricia Barnes-Svarney Macmillan USA 1995 The Human Body - Anthony Smith BBC Books, UK 1998 The Human Body - Louise Bostock, Stephen Luck, & Sam Merrell Galley Press, UK 1989 Human Body - The Visual Dictionary Mary Lindsay DK Book, UK 1991 Riyaadh ul Jannah Volume 1 No. 11 & Vol. 2 No. 9 Islamic Dawah Academy, UK 1993 Al-Farooq Volume 4 No. 11 Jamia Farooqia, Pakistan 1993 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The author would formally like to thank and acknowledge all those persons and institutions who have assisted in preparing this publication. 20
