Blog #60--The Body's Simplicity Underlying Its Complexity, Part 1

The vast majority of humans have at best a minimal understanding of how their bodies are formed and how they function during their lifetimes. Doctors, veterinarians, biochemists, biophysicists and the like must study rigorously for many years to understand all the details necessary for their careers. Only a small percentage of the human population has the motivation to learn it all.

And yet, once this study is completed, it is possible to recognize a simplicity hidden within the complexity. As I discussed in my book “It’s a Secret, So Pass It On: a Toolbox For Life,” everything in the body is formed initially from two mirror opposite polarities that both compliment and compete with one another to create the balance a body needs for proper function. The two opposites plus a blending of the two form a triad that can be found at all levels of study.

All tissues in the body, no matter how different they may seem, are formed from three types of cell tissue. These are called ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. Ectoderm cells become the skin and entire alimentary canal, the latter actually being outside the body and connected with the skin via the mouth and anus. Mesoderm is the middle tissue and evolves into the various muscle groups and connective tissues. And endoderm produces the inner organs. Of course, even these three cell types are formed from the one initial cell created at conception.

We have arteries that send blood from the heart to the rest of the body and veins that return it to the heart. Accompanying each artery and vein is a nerve which sends impulses both to and from the brain. The brain appears highly complex, yet it is subdivided into opposites that communicate back and forth, duplicating some efforts but in opposite ways. An equal blending of the two provides an opportunity for good health, balance and potentially a spiritual connection with the rest of the Universe.

If we draw an imaginary line down the middle of our bodies, we see much duplication on each side. Besides our brains, we have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, teeth on both sides and on both upper and lower jaws as well as two sets of teeth, baby and adult.

We have two sets of salivary glands on each side of our mouths, two tonsils, two vocal cord tissue foldings, two kidneys, two adrenal glands, two gonads and numerous other duplicated tissues. Our right arm, wrist, hand, and fingers are mirror images of our left arm, wrist, hand and fingers. The same is true for our legs. In fact, both arms and legs are formed in exactly the same way.

Those who study spirituality understand the phrase “As Above, So Below,” especially as it relates to the concept that humans are made in the image of their creator. But it means much more than that since duplications exist at all levels from microscopic to macroscopic. The basic pattern and function within one atom or one cell is a relative copy of our solar system, our galaxy, and our universe as a whole.

In terms of the human body, the upper half is also a reverse mirror image of our lower half. Our mouth draws in nourishment and breathable air, while our anus expels unusable foodstuffs and gas. Regurgitation and constipation are the opposite tendencies possible with these systems. We both breathe in and breathe out. Something similar occurs with our reproductive organs at the other end of our bodies, only most females tend to draw in more than let out, while most males tend to send out energy and material more than draw it in.

Similar organs are found in relatively similar places at both ends of our bodies. For instance, salivary glands secrete lubricants that help digest food, but they have analogs near the end of the alimentary canal that help moisten feces for expulsion. The salivary glands on each side of our tongue may be equivalent to anal sacs, common in many mammalian species, with vestiges recognized in humans as hemorrhoids when swollen.

Tonsils are perhaps equivalent to testicles in males and ovaries in females. Tongues are extremely similar in location to the penis in males and clitoris in females. The trachea, which connects to two primary bronchi and secondarily to the two main lung lobes is analogous to the vagina in women and urethra in men. The cervix in women and prostate in men are in a similar position to the larynx (voice box/Adam’s apple) in the back of the throat.

The uterus or womb in women is branched into two main chambers, reminding us of our lungs. In men, the spermatic cords connect the testicles with the urethra, just like the womb connects the ovaries with the vagina. The spermatic cords take up much less room than the two uterine branches in women, but they often expand and appear more similar to the womb if the testicles do not descend into the scrotum during fetal development because the relative relationship between male and female hormones changes to favor the female gender in this circumstance.

Women have tissue which helps lubricate their vaginas, much like the prostate in men. Perhaps the so-called g-spot in women contributes both lubricants and sensitivity, much like the prostate.

Our hearts are divided into two atria and two ventricles. The right ventricle receives blood from the veins and pumps it through the right atrium to the lungs, while blood oxygenated in the lungs is returned to the left ventricle, where it is then pumped through the left atrium to the main aorta and on to the rest of the body.

The biceps muscle fibers in our arms are produced by the exact same process as the hamstring muscles in our legs since they flex the elbow and knee respectively. The only difference is that biceps are in front of us and hamstring muscles are behind us. Likewise, triceps muscles extend our arms in the exact way our quadriceps muscles extend our legs. Again, they are the same but opposite. This type of simplicity can be found throughout our bodies because everything is formed from simple interactions between opposite polarities.

This is just a brief introduction to some of the many ways our complex bodies are created from a simplified formula. Experts in fetal development might find a few discrepancies between my comparative descriptions and theirs, but they do agree there is a simplicity within the complexity. In part two, we will talk about the opposite ways various people use their bodies in their daily lives.

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