Detecting Truth

I must briefly comment on The History Channel’s recently aired two hour program titled “How Life Began.” I watched it, curious to find out what the latest thinking is regarding this subject. The show should have been titled “How DID Life Begin?” Throughout the program, we were taken through a Life Factory that can create living cells. In one segment, the “goop” destined to become a living cell, disappeared behind a curtain and the narrator said something like, “We don’t really know what happens behind that curtain, but somehow a living cell emerges.” The rest of the program (most of it) was a case study in Evolution. The program was full of speculative explanations for how life began and has “evolved” into the diversity we see today in the world around us. It made the case that everything has been figured out except for a few nagging details and none of the many difficulties with the Neo-Darwinian Theory of Evolution were discussed. In summary, there’s nothing new here. Click HERE for a more thorough review of the program.

Now, for the good stuff. I’ve been doing a lot of research on DNA, gene theory, etc. and find the topic fascinating. The complexity of DNA, coding and manufacturing mechanisms is astoundingly complex.

A few books I’ve read recently:
Genetics DeMystified by Edward Willet
Not by Chance – Shattering the Modern Theory of Evolution by Dr. Lee Spetner
Genetic Entropy & The Mystery of the Genome by Dr. J.C. Sanford

The Spetner and Sanford books demonstrate some of the problems with Neo-Darwinian theory in the area of genetics.

Cells come in two main flavors; those with a well-defined nucleus surrounded by a membrane (eukaryotic) and those without a well-defined nucleus surrounded by a membrane (prokaryotic). All multicellular and some single celled organisms have eukaryotic cells. For the sake of brevity, the discussion will be limited to eukaryotic cells. Eukaryotic cells are made of an outer membrane, nucleus, many organelles, and cytoplasm (click HERE for nice picture and more detail). The nucleus contains the DNA which is organized into pairs of chromosomes.

Human cells have 23 pairs of chromosomes for a total of 46. Each chromosome contains a continuous molecule (or strand) of DNA. Each DNA strand contains coding sequences called genes. Genes (genotype) determine the characteristics of an organism’s physical features (phenotype) such as hair color, size of nose, etc. Environmental factors also contribute to the physical characteristics of an organism such as how muscular an individual will be. For example, muscles grow when exercised regularly. Overall body size can increase/decrease depending on many factors such as diet.

Chromosomes in a pair have an identical set of genes, however, each chromosome may have a different version, called an allele, of each gene. When a chromosome pair has two different alleles of a gene, a factor called dominance comes into play that determines which allele will be expressed in the phenotype. This is the dominant/recessive trait concept that Gregor Mendel discovered in his research with pea plants in the 1860′s.

A chromosome is a DNA strand tightly wound into a spiral shape. The DNA molecule has two “vertebrate” made of alternating sugar (deoxyribose) and phosphate molecules. This double backbone, wound in a spiral shape, forms the double helix shape that DNA is famous for. Attached to each backbone are small nitrogenous base molecules made of oxygen and nitrogen atoms arranged in rings. There are four types of these bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C) and thymine (T). A weak hydrogen bond between the bases hold the two backbones together to form the DNA molecule structure. Adenine (A) always pairs with thymine (T) and guanine (G) always pairs with cytosine (C) to form the four possible “states” of a base pair: AT, TA, CG, GC. These four possible base pairs, when arranged in a sequence, form the DNA code that is used to sequence amino acids into protein molecules – the building blocks of life.

There are 20 amino acids used to build polypeptides called proteins and each is coded for by a sequence of three bases, called a codon, on one side of the DNA strand. For example, the “Asp” amino acid is coded for by the GAT and GAC base sequence. Since there are more codon sequences (4 possible bases, 3 bases long = 64 possible combinations) than amino acids (20), more than one codon can code for the same amino acid. There are also START and STOP codons that are used to frame the code sequence. Note: As a software developer myself, this sounds very similar to certain types of software programming languages.

The process used to manufacture proteins occurs in the following steps:

1. An RNA polymerases enzyme unwinds a section of DNA that contains the gene for the protein being built
2. The gene is copied into a sequence of nucleotides called messenger RNA or mRNA
3. The mRNA chain leaves the nucleus of the cell into the cytoplasm and travels to the transcription location
4. A ribosome protein attaches to the mRNA and facilitates the manufacture of the protein being manufactured
5. Another type of RNA called transfer RNA (tRNA) transfer amino acids (like worker bees) to the ribosome in the sequence dictated by the mRNA
6. Once the first amino acid has been delivered, the second amino acid is then delivered and they are joined
7. The ribosome moves down the mRNA, one codon at a time, building the protein molecule from amino acids until it encounters the STOP codon

At this point the newly created protein is released to perform the function it was created to perform.

Following are a few excellent videos that show the process described above. The videos make a lot more sense if you have read all of the above information first as many of the key words used above are used in the videos.

NOTE: You may need to adjust the volume using the speaker icon on the video to hear the sound.

DNA Translation – process to manufacture proteins

This video shows real time simulation of:
Chromosome wrapping – process to wind up DNA into the shape a chromosome
DNA Replication – process to duplicate DNA in preparation for cell division
DNA Transcription – process to copy genes onto mRNA
DNA Translation – process to manufacture proteins

Unlocking the Mystery of Life – Discovery Institute

Implication of this Vast Complexity
The DNA mechanisms described above are found in all living things. The specific details of the mechanisms may vary by type of organism, but central to it all is the DNA code used to construct the organism. Does DNA and related processes represent irreducible complexity?

Consider what has to be present, simultaneously, in that infamous first cell that emerged from the primordial soup. A cell membrane is required to contain the contents of the cell and separate it from the environment. DNA code is required to build the cell membrane and all other components of the cell. RNA and ribosomes (or equivalent) are required to transcribe and translate the DNA code. Various proteins, enzymes, etc., are required to initiate and carry out cell division. All these things seem to be needed for basic functions of a cell, simultaneously.

Can common decent, natural selection, genetic mutations, etc. be invoked to create the first functioning cell? The answer is no. Why not? Prior to the first cell coming into existence, there were no decedents to select, no DNA to mutate, etc. Richard Dawkins, in his book, The Blind Watchmaker, makes the point that the reason a watch implies a designer is that the watch can’t replicate itself – it’s not a “replicator”. Living organisms, he says, can replicate themselves, and thus, genetic mutation and natural selection can drive increasing complexity in the offspring of replicators. Additionally, evolutionists argue that living things are exempt from the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, for similar reasons.

NOTE: The 2nd Law of Thermodynamics states that, without external intervention, “things” tend to become more disorganized over time.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. – Romans 1 (ESV)