The biochemistry of cell communication (Introduction)

by dhw, Friday, September 30, 2016, 13:00 (2975 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: Another take on the same article:
http://www.evolutionnews.org/2016/09/design_paper_hi103156.html-You seem to accept the authority of the article. I think the first half, which we have already discussed, is much clearer, so let me reproduce it again with all its indications of intelligence, which I will put in bold. In my view automatic behaviour can hardly involve cells discussing, disagreeing and then coming to a collective decision :-“The thing is, individual cells don't always get the message right, their sensory process can be noisy, confusing, and they make mistakes," Sun said. "But there's strength in numbers, and the collective sensory ability of many cells working together usually comes up with the right answer. This collective communication is essential to life."-Cells have a way of voting a consensus.-This interactive chatter continues, and a preponderance of cells receiving one sensation persuade a lesser number of cells reporting a different sensation that they must be wrong. By working in communication and collaboration, most of the cells eventually decide what the correct sensory input is, and the signal that gets passed along is pretty accurate.-Now let's put it together in a real-life situation requiring rapid response. Watch a baseball play from the cells' perspective, as the batter sees a 93-mile-per-hour fastball coming in low:-…After extensive communication between all these cells, a conclusion is reached and the correct message is sent to neurons in the brain.-Think how fast this has to happen. That's a pretty rapid committee meeting! -The brain cells, in turn, send a strong signal through nerves to muscles all over the batter's body, the shoulders, legs, and especially arms. The signals arrive and once again a collaborative process takes place, deciding what the message is and how to react... [/b]-DAVID: The whole process is a half second. It has to be automatic to fit the time frame and uses information in the cells which is implanted there. Yes, of course the cells cooperate. The time frame allows nothing else.-It's amazing how fast these intelligent cells work! To reverse your own approach, it may look automatic from the outside, but who can tell the difference? Not long ago, we watched a video of E.coli bacteria solving a problem. That was speeded up, because it took them quite a while to work it out, but work it out they did. Cells/cell communities are very good at solving problems, and it would be interesting to know how many researchers think that God preprogrammed the first cells to pass on every solution to every single problem that cells/cell communities will face for the rest of time.