The Irreducible complexity of human processes that keep our bodies alilve

The Irreducible complexity of human processes that keep our bodies alive

Laufmann, wrote an article entitled “The Designed Body: Irreducible Complexity on Steroids = Exquisite Engineering” that exposes the incredible complexity of life and its perfect balance to keep the human body alive.

Each cell must successfully fight diffusion and osmosis in order to maintain its internal volume and required chemical content. This takes energy, which must come from somewhere (Laufmann, 2017).

To meet its energy needs, the cell breaks down glucose according to a simple chemical formula: C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ = 6CO₂ + 6H₂O. The glucose molecule and six oxygen molecules are converted into six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water. These are all stable molecules, so it takes some doing to make this work. In a complex 3-stage process, the cell uses 20+ specialized enzymes and carrier molecules (each made up of 300+ specifically-ordered amino acids), to break down the chemical bonds of the glucose molecule, thereby releasing energy which the cell uses to operate its machinery, including the critical sodium-potassium pumps that control the cell’s content and volume

https://evolutionnews.org/2017/03/designed-body-engineered-system-displaying-irreducible-complexity-steroids/

Obviously, a supply of oxygen is essential. But this presents a few problems for the body. While glucose can be stored in the body for later use, oxygen can’t, so it must be supplied continuously, and in the right quantities to meet current demand.

Without enough oxygen, the cell runs out of energy, its sodium-potassium pumps fail, the cell’s internal volume and chemical content can’t be maintained, and the cell dies. When sufficient cells within an organ die, the functions provided by that organ cease, causing downstream functions to fail, and so on. Without corrective action, this leads to a chain reaction of failure. In just a few minutes a lack of oxygen will kill the entire body.

On the other hand, when the body gets enough oxygen, the process generates carbon dioxide, which, if not removed, elevates the cell’s hydrogen ion level, which leads to cell death.

So the cell must efficiently “gate” oxygen into the cell and carbon dioxide out of the cell through the cell membrane. Given that the cell is surrounded by a few trillion other cells, each of which is independently maintaining the same cell content and volume functions, the body must manage overall substantive flows of oxygen (in) and carbon dioxide (out).

This requires an efficient transport subsystem (e.g., a circulatory system), complete with a pump (heart), transport medium (blood), and means to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the air in the environment (lungs).

But this is not so easy. Blood’s fluid component is mainly water, and oxygen doesn’t dissolve well in water. So the body adds a complex iron-based protein called hemoglobin to the blood, which binds to the oxygen so it can be transported efficiently throughout the body. To make this work, though, the body needs still other (sub)systems to acquire, store, and process just enough iron (too much is toxic), and then process it into hemoglobin.

And there’s a separate process and subsystems to deliver glucose to the cells. Glicksman gives a lot more detail, but you get the idea: a lot of moving parts are required.

…

Every one of the body’s control systems is irreducibly complex.

For each of the 40 survival factors, the human body requires at least one control system. Every control system, whether in a biological or a human-engineered system, must include some means to perform each of the following functions:

• • Sensors, to measure that which is being controlled. There must be enough sensors, in the right locations (to sense that which is being controlled), and with suitable sensitivity to the needed tolerances.

  • Data integrators, to combine data from many sensors.

  • Control logic, to determine what adjustments are needed to achieve the desired effects. In some cases the logic may drive changes across multiple subsystems. In all cases, the logic must be correct to achieve proper function.

  • Effectors, to modify that which is being controlled.

  • Signaling infrastructure, to carry signals from the sensors to the data integrator(s) and/or controller, and from the controller to the effectors. Signals must carry the correct information, be directed to the right components, and arrive in a timely fashion.

(Laufmann, 2017)

This simple observation flies in the face of Darwinian expectations. How can bottom-up, random processes possibly achieve such exquisitely engineered outcomes — outcomes that deliver a life experience well beyond the chemistry and physics of the body?

Such questions have enormous implications for worldviews, and for the ways that humans live their lives. (Laufmann, 2017)

References

Laufmann, S. (2017). The Designed Body: Irreducible Complexity on Steroids = Exquisite Engineering. Evolution News. Retrieved from https://evolutionnews.org/2017/03/designed-body-engineered-system-displaying-irreducible-complexity-steroids/