Correction. This is Part 4, not pt3 Tai-Pan wrote:
> Genuflexion to Devotees of the CS art, > > Body cells have much in common with each other, yet those of different > tissues vary in a number of ways. Most of the trillions of cells within > the human body are to small to be seen without a microscope. Only the > human egg cell can be seen with the unaided eye, as a tiny speck. Cells > vary in size, shape, and complexity, determined by their function and > purpose. Secretory cells are no exception, being specially constructed > to do what they do with great efficiency. Osmoregulatory cells, such as > secretory, excretory and homeostatsis epithelia act as highly > specialized ionic pumps, and have special structural features. The > secretory cells of the sweat glands possess extensive systems of smooth > endoplasmic reticulum, dense populations of mitochondria containing > large numbers of cristae, and, frequently, extensive deep infoldings of > the cell membrane on the side of the cell where absorption is presumed > to occur. > Lets take a quick look at some of the cell contents. We know that cells > are enclosed in a thin membrane and that within this membrane there are > hundreds more membranes enclosing separate sections and organs of the > cell. Of great interest to us are the cytoplasm, endoplasmic reticulum, > ribosomes, Golgi apparatus, and the mitochondria. There are many other > organs (organelles) in a cell, but these are the ones of interest to us > at this moment. > The cytoplasm is the clear thick liquid (as seen by the eye) that fills > the cell. The electron microscope shows it to be filled with all kinds > of cell machinery, networks of tubules, membranes, and other organelles, > no space is wasted. The activities of the cell occur largely in its > cytoplasm. It is there that food molecules are received, processed and > used, it is the site of the cells metabolic processes, in which the > other mentioned cytoplasmic organelles play specific roles. > The endoplasmic reticulum is a complex network of interconnected > membranes. Spaces between these membranes form elongated canals called > tubules. The network is connected to the cells outer membrane , where it > has openings to the outside of the cell. It also connects to the other > organelle and functions as a transporting network, moving chemicals from > one part to the other parts of the cell. The endoplasmic reticulum also > functions in the synthesis of the chemicals it is distributing in the > cell. A part of the membrane surface is smooth and part is rough, having > ribosomes on it. The smooth surface is very active in producing > secretory fluids. > The ribosomes produce proteins, enzymes, other secretory products, > which are used for cell building and secreted outside of the cell. > The Golgi apparatus (named after Doctor Golgi) is composed of a group > of flattened, membranous sacs whose membranes are continuous with those > of the endoplasmic reticulum. The Golgi apparatus manufactures cellular > secretions as packages of glycoproteins which are released outside of > the cell as secretion. > Mitochondria are fairly large, fluid-filled sacs. They vary in size and > can change shape; often they can be observed moving about in the > cytoplasm. The membrane surrounding a mitochondrion has an outer and an > inner layer. The inner layer is folded to form partitions called cristae > within the sac-like structure. Small particles thought to be associated > with enzymes are connected to the cristae. These enzymes control the > chemical reactions by which energy is released from the glucose > molecules. The mitochondria function in the transformation of this > energy into a form that is usable by cell parts. The mitochondria are > the power houses of the cell, changing incoming chemicals into chemicals > that the cell can use for energy. Secretory cells require large amounts > of energy to function, as all of their activities are against the normal > gradients found in normal cells. All cells have mitochondria, which > supply ATP, to power the cell activities. Cells that require larger > amounts of energy have larger numbers of mitochondria, a heart muscle > cell will have as many as 50,000 in the cell, due to the high energy > requirement of the heart cell. Secretory cells, such as the sweat cell > have them in the many thousands. The more energy required, the more > mitochondria are found in the cell. > The mitochondria is a separate living organism in its own right. It has > its own membrane, its own DNA, and all thats required to exist as a > separate bacteria. It multiplies and divides when more are needed, and > when the cell divides each half will get its starter group of > mitochondria to populate it. Biologists now believe that long ago the > mitochondria were bacteria that formed a symbiotic relationship with the > living cell, a relationship that was to transform the cell so much that > all cells from yeasts through human beings could not survive without > them. The primitive algae did not have available extra energy, never had > a way of creating more energy, and never developed past the algae > development. When mitochondria formed a symbiotic relationship the > primitive cell now had a way of producing extra energy from foods, and > in consequence became capable of building larger more complex > structures, creating electricity, doing forceful secretions, moving > about in its environment and actively pursuing food. Evolution would > have stopped without the mitochondria. The usual picture is that an > early cell tried to digest a mitochondria bacteria and it resisted > successfully and remained in the cell. Who knows, we do know it is there > in all our cells now. The ATP, which is the waste of the mitochondria is > the energy for the cell. > A molecule of glucose enters the cell and is acted upon by enzymes, > after nine successive chemical reactions, the glucose molecule becomes > two molecules of pyruvate, which then enters the mitochondria. In the > mitochondria the pyruvate is processed to release energy in the form of > electrons (the stuff of electricity) which are immediately recaptured to > make ATP (adenosine triphosphate) which in turn is transported to all > parts of the cell, providing the chemical power needed by the cells > components. As the energy is used from the ATP it becomes ADP and > returns back to the mitochondria for more energy, changing back into ATP > again. This happens million of times per second, per mitochondria, per > sweat cell, per sweat gland. Thats a lot of energy being created and > used by the sweat glands. A result of all this energy creation and use > is water, a lot of it, which is secreted by the cells through their > membranes. Also the sodium-potassium pumps go into high gear, producing > a secretion of salt on the skin in the water. This whole process builds > up in just seconds as the hormones and electrical stimuli call for > sweat. The mitochondria begin multiplying rapidly and glucose intake > rises sharply, ATP production goes into high gear and water and salt > begin coming from the cell within seconds of the demand for sweat. So > what is the sodium-potassium pump doing? For every glucose molecule that > enters the cell a sodium atom must accompany it, soon the cell will have > to many sodium atoms. The sodium-potassium pump will force sodium atoms > out of the cell, and in so doing this two potassium atoms come in for > every three sodium atoms forced out. This is good because the cell is > constantly losing potassium atoms in other chemical actions and they > need to be replaced to maintain the proper ionic balance. This forcing > out of sodium and forcing in potassium use energy which requires more > glucose intake and round and round it goes. The excess sodium appears in > the sweat, mixed with the water in the ducts on its way to the skin > surface. > > --to be continued--- > > Bless you, Bob Lee > > -- > oozing on the muggy shore of the gulf coast > [email protected] -- oozing on the muggy shore of the gulf coast [email protected] -- The silver-list is a moderated forum for discussion of colloidal silver. To join or quit silver-list or silver-digest send an e-mail message to: [email protected] -or- [email protected] with the word subscribe or unsubscribe in the SUBJECT line. To post, address your message to: [email protected] Silver-list archive: http://escribe.com/health/thesilverlist/index.html List maintainer: Mike Devour <[email protected]>
