The Interactions

"The Nitrogen in our DNA, the Calcium in our teeth, the Iron in our blood, the Carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made up of starstuff."                   -Carl Sagan    

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A beautiful rainy Sunday morning in Mumbai. It was pouring down heavily, with the sky covered with dark clouds and the leaves dancing in rhythm with the raindrops. Chinu woke up early and was looking out of his window from up above the fifth floor of his residence, soaking in the beautiful atmosphere. He was standing there quietly, leaning towards the window, to rest his arms upon. It seemed like the boy was thinking something. Shweta joined him too. She looked outside the window, it was pouring heavily, and the calm wind sometimes sprinkled a few raindrops on their faces. 

Shweta says, "Don't you think the rain is beautiful? Somehow it holds a special place in my heart."

Chinu replies, "Yes, I also truly enjoy it. Everything just seems so lively and fresh. Except for mud and mosquitoes, I also truly admire this wonder of nature."

Both giggle. Chinu continues, "There was so much water in the sea, when we went to Juhu, the other night. I wondered how many of these tiny drops of water, falling from the sky, would be required for the sea to exist. And now life thrives in it. Is it even the case with animals and plants, Shweta? Are we also made up of something tiny like this? Some building blocks have come together to form the wonder that we are?" 

Shweta was amazed at how the boy could correlate the observations. She proceeded, "Yes, Chinu, you're perfectly right here. Despite our differences, we are all made up of the same building blocks arranged with some variations. But this is a very broad question, so let's dissect it a bit. There are different perceptions involved here when we talk about the composition of organisms. Atomic, molecular, cellular, and many other ways can be used to define the composition."

Chinu says, "Wow, this is getting interesting. Tell me more about it."

Shweta smiles and continues, "So, just as you know, anything and everything that you can see around is made up of very tiny particles called atoms."

Chinu interrupts, "So, life is made up of the same elements as any non-living matter. But then how come one is living and rest possess no sense?" 

Shweta explains how the particular arrangement and interaction of these elements making biomolecules that sustain life are necessary. She further elaborates that there are major six elements that constitute a human body, which are oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. 

Isn't this fascinating that there are organisms that have adapted to various extremities of the earth possessing various elements other than these six, in abundance? 

Shweta says, "So, Chinu, you know that right that we all are made up of a bunch of cells, organized peculiarly to interact and support our existence. And there are about 200 different cell types in 30 trillion human cells."

Chinu was aware of the concept of cells as he studied in his school, he was also aware that these cells work together to form a tissue, hence constituting an organ that is a part of the organ system, consisting of many organs. 

And even the human body is an ecosystem, harboring trillions of microbes in and on it. If seen cellularly, on our 30 trillion human cells, 38 trillion bacteria cells are fostered. So, cellularly, are we more bacteria than humans?

But the wonders of life and its constituents don't end here, there are myriad untold stories existing and even upcoming that can fascinate us, as we learn about the marvels of life.