Apoptosis - Death and Dying....

Apoptosis or “Programmed Cell Death” is a phenomenon which excites Basic Research Scientists much. 

Apoptosis (æpəˈtoʊsɪs/) is the process of programmed cell death (PCD) that may occur in multicellular organisms.  Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes (morphology) and death.

They believe that, if we identify the mechanism of “Apoptosis” this might contribute to understanding “aging” and then could lead to discover ways to prevent aging and death!

Apoptosis – of Programmed Cell Death are of many types.

One – what I would want to call as “Death before Life”. The tadpole, which becomes a frog, loses its tail by “Programmed cell death” or Apoptosis so that it becomes the “frog” it is meant to be. Even Humans, in our development inside the mother’s womb go through Apoptosis, so that we are born as are expected to be – a full formed Neonate. This is a onetime event, in each location of the body, and leads to the animal or human to be born fully formed….

The second type of Apoptosis is where, the cells undergo ongoing daily death, so that new cells can take its place. This could be either because the cells life is only short span – Like WBCs – one day life span, Or damaged or infected cells, so that new well formed cells can takes its place. I would want to call it “Death in Life”. It is estimated that each second 10.000.000 of cells die and are replaced in human body. It is this ongoing death which makes life possible…..or this is an ongoing phenomena which makes our body what it should be….Death in Life…

It is assumed that “caspase family of proteases” mediates the terminal stages of apoptotic cell death, but studies are still on to understand how all these are controlled and inhibited…. it is assumed that that there are “death receptors” on cells to which some of these proteases bind….

Even in our spiritual lives, this is true. The first Death we have to go through is the “Death to Sin” which is a onetime event. Theologians will call it “Justification”….You are re-born as what you are expected to be, one whose sin has been covered.… Unless a corn of wheat falls and dies it does not bear fruit…

And then starts the life a daily Death in Life – unless one dies daily to self, you cannot have life in all its fullness and abundant life…Theologians would call it “sanctification” the “becoming” by dying to Self…On a daily regular basis…

But unlike Apoptosis, we know what facilitates “Death to Sin” and “Death to Self”…the Holy Spirit which”binds” to the Soul and transforms it!

There is third Death – the “degenerative” – the degenerative process of “aging” and Death. Some scientists think that in particular, apoptotic cell death is not directly related to the aging process. Because apoptosis is an active process, it is not related to a degenerative process such as aging. Whereas others believe that Apoptosis is part of the Degenerative process….Whatever it may be this is something which I want to label as “Death for dying….”

But scientists do not know that this Death is not one which ends in death, if you are already dead to sin and self, but to life….Theologians call it “Glorification”….where one through death moves from a Mortal body to an Immortal body and “Temporal life” to “Eternal Life”…

The beauty of Christian life is – all the deaths – whether it be to Sin, Self or Body – all leads to Life….!!!