By A. O.
The chain of dominoes loses none of its energy as the individual dominoes fall over.
How does information to the effect that your shoes are hurting your feet reach the brain? How can you perceive discomfort in your feet at the same intensity in your brain, despite the distance of several feet between them? Under normal conditions, this signal should decrease in proportion to the distance involved. However, there is a special system in your body to overcome this.
The signals that set out from the pain-sensitive cells are carried along thanks to the ion movements taking place along the nerve cells. In this way, the signal travels with no loss of energy, and each transfer acquires new energy in each new region of the cell membrane.
The way the nerve signal is transmitted along the axon can be compared to the chain reaction that takes place when dominoes are lined up next to one another. When you push over the first domino, all the others —if set out at specific distances— will fall over in turn. When the first one falls over, a chain reaction ensues: consecutive tiles topple over until none remain standing. A similar chain reaction can be seen in the transmission of signals among neurons:
- The first domino will not fall until pushed with enough force. In a similar way, a nerve signal will not be triggered until stimulated with sufficient force—expressed as a threshold. The threshold phenomenon is observed in the transmission of signals pertaining to the senses. For example, we cannot hear very faint sounds because the signals they generate are not sufficiently powerful to set into motion signals from the auditory nerves.
- The chain of dominoes loses none of its energy as the individual dominoes fall over. The energy thus continues transmitted, undiminished, until the last one falls. That is because each standing domino falls over with the same kinetic energy (the energy a body possesses because of its speed). Neither do nerve signals lose any of their energy as their signal is transmitted.
- A domino falls in only one direction. In the same way, nerve stimuli move only from dendrite to axon.
As you see, every detail of the body is an example of very wise creation. The existence of all these must lead us to reflect more deeply, love our Lord more deeply, and give greater thanks to Him, the Creator of all.
One of the exemplary pieces of behavior of believers is revealed in the Qur’an:
“Those who remember Allah, standing, sitting and lying on their sides, and reflect on the creation of the heavens and the Earth: ‘Our Lord, You have not created this for nothing. Glory be to You! So safeguard us from the punishment of the Fire.’” (Aal `Imran: 191)
A Note by the Editor:
Allah the Almighty says in the Ever-Glorious Qur’an what means,
“Say: ‘Who is the Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ Say: ‘Allah.’ Say: ‘So why have you taken protectors apart from Him who possess no power to help or harm themselves?’ Say: ‘Are the blind and seeing equal? Or are darkness and light the same? Or have they assigned partners to Allah Who create as He creates so that all creating seems the same to them?’ Say: ‘Allah is the Creator of everything. He is the One, the All-Conquering.’” (Al-Ra`d: 16)
And,
“He [Allah] hath created the heavens without supports that ye can see and hath cast into the earth firm hills so that it quake not with you, and He hath dispersed therein all kinds of beasts. And We send down water from the sky and We cause (plants) of every goodly kind to grow therein. This is the Creation of Allah. Now show me that which those (ye worship) beside Him have created. Nay, but the wrongdoers are in error manifest!” (Luqman 31: 10-11)
And,
“We shall show them Our portents on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice since He is Witness over all things? How! Are they still in doubt about the meeting with their Lord? Lo! Is not He surrounding all things?” (Fussilat 41: 53-54)
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A. O. is a Turkish writer and author.