The Amazing Miracle: The Length of DNA in Your Body
Peace be upon you
As discussed, we will present examples
of this finely-tuned universe
We will start with
the genetic material in our bodies
What you're about to hear
now is indeed extraordinary
so, I'll provide references for as much
of the presented material as possible
Allah says
what can be translated as,
"On earth are signs
for the ones that are certain
As there are within yourselves;
can you not see?" (Quran 51:20-21)
Your body is made up of cells which
are the smallest living units in organisms
If we take a tiny spot of your skin, it
will appear like this under a microscope
How many cells do you think your body has?
In fact, estimates fluctuate greatly
The best summary study on the
subject is the 2013 study done by
"Annals of Human Biology"
which summarizes
the different estimates
on cell numbers in the human body
from 30 different sources
(books and previous studies)
and concluded that the number of cells
in your body is around 37.2 trillion cells
37 million million cells!
In the joint of the little finger
there are hundreds of millions of cells!
Every cell in the body receives oxygen
and nutrients and disposes of its waste
Every cell is a world of its own
We will focus today
on the cell's nucleus:
a small part inside this tiny cell
Let's go inside the nucleus
This nucleus contains
the genetic material: the DNA
which carries your genetic
characteristics in the form of genes
One gene is responsible for eye color,
another for producing insulin, and so on
This genetic material (genes) is packed
into structures called chromosomes
and this is one chromosome
Every human has 23 pairs of chromosomes.
Each pair contains
one chromosome inherited from the father
and another from the mother
This is a real image of a chromosome
under an electronic microscope.
It looks like yarn balls
The genetic material (DNA)
in the chromosome
is an extremely long and
extremely thin strand
So, to fit inside the tiny nucleus
it must be packed in an amazing way
It is coiled around proteins
called 'histones'
and then chains of histones
are coiled in turn and so on
to produce
an extremely compact structure
In the tiny nucleus
if we took the 23 pairs of chromosomes,
unwrapped their compressed DNA,
and connected the strands end-to-end
their total length would be
approximately 2 meters in every nucleus
as stated in
"The Physics Factbook" encyclopedia
which compares the length of DNA
in the nucleus of a single cell
from multiple sources
This is the length of genetic material
in one nucleus of one cell
Now, how many cells did we say
we have in the human body?
About 37.2 trillion cells
Deduct from this the number
of red blood cells and
platelets which don't have a nucleus
We are left with approximately
10 trillion cells with nuclei
Multiply 2 meters:
the length of DNA length in one cell
by 10 trillion:
the number of cells in your body
The result is a huge number:
20 trillion meters
or 20 billion kilometers!
20 billion kilometers of DNA in
the cells of your body alone
This number is also found in the
accredited biochemistry books
such as "Biochemistry
For Dental Students", page 75
and
"The Physics Factbook" encyclopedia
in its article no. 339
Do you know, dear viewers
how long 20 billion kilometers is?!
The same encyclopedia says this length
is equivalent to 70 roundtrips
from earth to the sun!!
By the way, this is
a relatively modest estimate
Other international scientific websites
estimate a higher number
of cells in each human body
and therefore
a longer DNA length!
For example, Nature's Publishing
Group website: Scitable
estimates the length of DNA
in every human
to be equivalent to 300 or more
roundtrips from earth to the sun!!
Let's ignore this website's
larger number and let's
stick with the more modest estimate
for the length of DNA:
i.e. 20 billion kilometers
To fully comprehend
the magnitude of this number
imagine everything on earth:
plains, mountains, valleys, forests,
seas, oceans, deserts, etc.
Our earth is approximately
a million times smaller than the sun
The circumference of the sun is
estimated to be
4.37 million kilometers
while the DNA in your body
is 20 billion kilometers long
i.e. 20 thousand million kilometers
which is long enough to go around
the sun many times;
more than 4,500 times!
I know the numbers are hard to believe
and I hesitated to present them
until I found other references
with similar estimates
and even higher ones
and —despite extensive research—
I didn't find a single reference with
detailed calculations that
arrived at a lower estimate
In Part II of this episode, titled:
"Calculating the Length of DNA"
I'll elaborate on where these
massive numbers come from
and provide more scientific documentation
Allah willing
The wonders do not end here
This is merely the beginning
of this mind-blowing story!
Amazingly, not only is
the DNA so compactly-packed
but parts of it are being
transcribed around the clock
For example, if you have an injury
many processes are needed
for the wound to heal
such as the production of collagen
(a protein) to repair the wound
Special particles target the specific
genes responsible for collagen production
amidst these very long strands
of genetic material
and the genes are transcribed
resulting in collagen production
The genetic material is not
dead or rigid compact strands
but is active and reactive
We will discuss the process
of gene transcription
in an upcoming episode
Allah willing
It is a topic no less extraordinary than
the length of the genetic material
Ask those who deny
the existence of the Creator
"Who designed your body
in such a way?"
They will say,
"Nothing!"
'Nothing' created your body and
made billions of different cells:
Bone cells, muscle cells, nerve cells,
fat cells, blood cells, etc.
'Nothing' created the hormones
necessary for cell division
and guided them to their proper place?
'Nothing' did all that!
And 'Nothing' did all that by chance!
'Nothing' packed the genetic material
in your cells in such an astonishing way:
'Nothing' created the genetic
material and wrapped it
around histones;
which in return wrapped and twisted
around themselves
in an organized fashion
then unraveled when needed
in amazingly organized patterns
'Nothing' did it all this by chance!
As for us, we say,
what can be translated as,
"Such is the Creation of Allah:
now show Me
what is there
that others besides Him have created:
nay, but the Transgressors are
in manifest error."
(Quran 31:11)
Peace be upon you
"Such is the Creation of Allah:
now show Me
what is there
that others besides Him have created:
nay, but the Transgressors are
in manifest error." (Quran 31:11)