The Quran; A Miracle Beyond Time-A Study of Its Miraculous Nature (Part 23)
The Human Body: A Living Miracle in the Closest Mirror of Existence
The human body, this unique, complex, precise and living structure, is one of the most amazing evidences of the power and wisdom of Allah Almighty. Sometimes we look to the most distant galaxies to see divine signs in the universe, while one of the greatest signs is right near us and even part of our being, as Allah Almighty says: وَفِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ Translation: “And in yourselves (humans), are clear signs and solid evidences for knowing Allah and realizing His power). Will you not see?” [Al-Zariyyat: 21]
In this section, we will examine in detail some of the extraordinary aspects and complex structures of the human body, each of which contains a world of wonder within itself; Wonders that, if we think about it a little, lead us to humility, thinking, and faith.
The Integumentary System: A Miracle of Growth, Order, and Renewal
Hair:
On average, “300,000 hairs” grow on each human head. Each hair has an independent structure and includes:
The hair bulb, which is the root and point of its growth;
A vein and artery for blood supply;
The hair straightening muscle that is activated when cold or feeling afraid;
A sensory nerve for perceiving stimuli;
A sebaceous gland to keep the skin and hair soft;
A pigment-producing gland (melanocyte) to determine the color of the hair.
Skin:
There are about “15 million sweat glands Beneath the surface of the skin.” These glands, like a cooling system, regulate body temperature, balance moisture, and help eliminate toxins.
Eyes; Living camera with a multilayer structure
The human eye is not just a visual organ; it is also a very precise light-analyzing device. There are ten layers of cells in the “retina”, which in total include:
140 million light-receiving cells, including “cones” for detecting colors and “rods” for detecting light intensity and seeing in the dark.
From the eye, an “optic nerve” connects to the brain, which includes “500,000 nerve fibers”. Visual processing in the brain analyzes color, shape, depth, and movement at the same time as receiving the image.
Ear: Precise analyzer of sound waves
There is a structure similar to the eye for receiving sound in the “human ear”, the cochlea of the ear contains:
“30,000 specialized hearing cells” that perceive even the most subtle differences in sound frequency and intensity.
There is a precise system in the brain that measures the “very slight time difference” between the arrival of sound at the two ears, this difference is less than one thousand six hundredths of a second (1/1600 of a second) and shows the person exactly the “direction of the sound”.
Tongue and mouth: the center of taste perception and expression
The surface of the human tongue is covered with about “9,000 taste buds”. These receptors are able to distinguish between “sweet, salty, sour and bitter” and transmit information about taste to the brain.
Every “word” produced by the tongue requires the “cooperation of 17 muscles”, which make speech possible with precise coordination.
There are about “500,000 living cells” in the “mucous membrane of the mouth (inner membrane). Every “five minutes”, half a million cells die and are immediately replaced by “half a million new cells”; an amazing example of living and continuous renewal in the body.
Blood: The River of Life
There are about 5 million red blood cells in every cubic millimeter of blood. These cells:
Move through the bloodstream about 1,500 times a day;
Travel more than 1,150 kilometers.
If the red blood cells in an adult human body were placed together, they would be six times the circumference of the Earth!
Heart: The Intelligent Pump
The average human heart:
Beats 100,000 times a day;
Pumps about 8,000 liters of blood 24 hours a day;
During an average lifespan, it pumps about 56 million barrels (280 million liters) of blood throughout the body.
This regular, non-stop, and automatic function is one of the greatest miracles of human life.
Brain: A Masterpiece of Complexity and Processing
In the “human brain”: There are about “14 billion cortical neurons (active nerve cells)”; There are also more than “140 billion supporting cells” in the brain, many of whose functions are still unknown.
The brain, although responsible for all the processing and functions of the body, “is still not able to fully understand its own structure and function”; a fact that both humbles and makes us think.
Lungs: The breathing field of life
There are about “700 million air sacs (alveoli)” in the lungs. If the surface of these sacs is opened, they cover an area of “200 square meters”.
The lungs daily: They breathe about “25,000 times”; They bring about “180 cubic meters of air” into the body.
Liver: The Body’s Nonstop Laboratory
Human liver: Contains “300 billion active cells”; Can be “completely renewed every four months”; Performs more than “500 important biochemical functions”, including detoxification, bile production, blood sugar regulation, fat metabolism, etc.
Humans cannot survive more than “3 hours” without the liver. This organ is one of the most vital and complex structures in the human body.
Digestive and absorption system:
In the “stomach”, there are about “1 billion cells” in its wall that secrete “several liters of hydrochloric acid (HCl) daily”.
The important question is: Why doesn’t this strong acid digest the stomach itself? The scientific answer goes back to the resistant mucous membrane and special protective systems; but ultimately, the structure of the stomach itself is a “biological miracle”.
In the “small intestine”, there are more than “3600 absorptive villi (Zoghabeh)” per square centimeter that absorb nutrients and are completely renewed “every 48 hours”.
Kidneys: a 24-hour purification plant
Each kidney has “one million filtration units (nephrons)”; the total length of the tubes of these units in the human body reaches about “100 kilometers”.
The body’s blood passes through the kidneys “five times a day” to be purified, without the kidneys functioning properly, the body’s chemical balance is lost in a few hours.
Finally, as a summary, we can say that the human body, this incredibly complex and coordinated system, is itself a live book that has in every cell a sign of a wise and capable creator. No system in the world works with such precision, renewal, intelligence and stability. These are not signs that only doctors or scientists understand; Rather, it is a mirror of truth for every thoughtful person: وَفِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡۚ أَفَلَا تُبۡصِرُونَ Translation: “And in yourselves (humans), are clear signs and solid evidences for knowing Allah and realizing His power). Will you not see?” [Al-Zariyyat: 21]
