Thursday, November 20, 2014

Common Sense(s)

Assuming normal function, the organic platform receives input from a variety of sources.  Specialized mechanisms of function they might be called.  They basically involve a stimulus and a sense organ which produces an awareness of the elements from the environment that surrounds us.  Let's see...there is smell, taste, sight, hearing, and touch.  All common threads that bind our continuing stream of  consciousness.  Four of these special mechanisms are located close to the central nervous system which brings input to the major control center of our existence.  On the other hand, touch involves a generalized mechanism of reception spread though out the organic platform providing such things as  pain and temperture readings.  These specialized receptors are distinct from other functions such as movement and thought.  Sensory signals they are called...these common threads...these common senses.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Life

Assuming normal function within the organic platform, a sequence of physical and mental experiences make up the existence we call life.  A common thread indeed it is...this thing called life.   An organismic state characterized by the capacity for metabolism [all that ATP to ADP] , reaction to stimuli [our five senses], growth, and of course reproduction.  As genealogist, we often record it as the period of birth to death, and spend a great deal of effort tracing and recording these aspects of our own ancestors.

Simply put, life is our existence as we know it.  Existence is our reality as we experience it.  Existence is our conscious perception of our environment that surrounds us.  Sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch all provide input from this environment.  Input comes from a variety of external sources which affects the experience we know as life.  A specific phase of earthly existence that is certainly shared among us all as threads that bind. 

Monday, October 13, 2014

Copyright Notice

You may not use the contents of this site (blog and posts) for commercial purposes without explicit written permission from the author and blog owner.  Commercial purposes includes blogs with ads and income generation features, and/or blogs or sites using feed content as a replacement for original content.  Full content usage is not permitted.

Jerry E. Jones, MD, MS, The Jones Genealogist, Library of Congress No. 6192-01064476.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

High Energy

The organic platform provides a venue for the cells to perform their various and often unique functions.  Cells of this sort and, cells of that sort, divide the tasks necessary to maintain our existence.  Each cell in our body needs energy and heat in order to carryout their designed directions from this stuff called the genetic code.  Would you believe that it is the "cosmic thread" [electron] that provides this energy, passing itself along a series of steps to produce the energy necessary to maintain each cell.

"High energy bonds" they are called.  Giving themselves up to generate this energy, they pass to "a lower energy bond" which is then in need of oxygen.   The "lower energy bond" takes new electrons from the oxygen, producing another "high energy bond".  On and on it goes producing a continual source of energy for the cell.  It takes a whole host of nutrients to fuel these cells, but hey, an apple a day keeps the doctor away they say.

For those interested, this is known as "Stoichiometric Control".  The "high energy bonds" are housed in what is called "Adenosine triphosphate" = ATP.  The lower energy bonds are housed in what is called "Adenosine diphosphate" = ADP.    ATP to ADP and back again...a thread that binds.

Friday, September 5, 2014

Cells

All this basic stuff (oxygen, water, and nutrients) are needed to keep the organic platform in operating condition.  Good working order you might say.  Just imagine that there are a "gadzillion" little units called cells, all grouped together to form various functions, that ultimately give meaning and direction to this organic platform.  Hum...amazing how all this works together.

Now these cells are another common thread that binds us all together.  Beginning as two united threads (the egg and sperm which are past down from our folks) officially called "the zygote", the first cell divides into two...then into four...then into eight...then ultimately...into "gadzillions"!  Certainly a lot has to happen during this process before the completed organic platform is passed into their own sphere of existence, taking that first gasp of oxygen.  What a deal!  [As a physician, I have participated in over 800 of these first steps.]

These cells share certain items.  They all have a nucleus, housed in a "nuclear membrane".  This nucleus is surrounded by a pocket of fluid called "cytoplasm" which is held in a cell membrane.  The cytoplasm holds all kinds of equipment to help the cell function.  The nucleus contains the directions and operating instructions to all this equipment.  These operating instructions are called the "genetic code" which as been past down to us.  Wow...who figured all this out anyway?


At any rate, cells are organized in such a way to give us functional existence.  A thread that binds it is.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Basic Stuff

From eternity past, our cosmic thread [the electron] affected a cascade of events that produced a whole lot of stuff.  All that negative environment generated a need for positive items [the proton] necessary to help stabilize and organize this cosmic thread into a useful structure [the atom].  This stuff needed more and more mass [the neutron] to build the multiple items [molecules] that formed the multiple elements [compounds] that produced the basic stuff of our very existence.

Now, all this basic stuff generated certain spheres of existence which came to be called "gases", "liquids", and "solids".  Out of the "gases" came oxygen...out of the "liquids" came water...and finally out the "solids" came nutrients.  Just think, if our organic platform is denied oxygen, it ceases to function after 5 minuets.  If our organic platform is denied water, it will cease to function after 5 to 7 days.  Lack of nutrients give our organic platform a little more time, shutting down things after some 30 to 40 days. 

Hum... 5 minutes...to around one week...to around one month...some basic stuff that we are share.  Common threads indeed they are.

Monday, August 18, 2014

The Cosmic Thread

Is there a particular item that binds all things together?  Is there an universal element that is present in everything in existence?   A cosmic thread it might be called.  Since this blog is titled "Threads That Bind", is there such a thread that can be identified?  Well...let me suggest the electron.

The "electron" [i lek~ tron ] Gr. elektron = amber.  Wow...an element that is present in all existence, the inorganic as well as the organic.  We all share the electron!

Now, the electron is a negative charged elementary particle that has a specific charge, mass, and spin.  Just imagine, that since the beginning of time, the electron has made us all partners in this existence.  My college physics book defines the electron with a rest mass of  "one", a negative charge e- , and a spin unit of 1/2 (Fermions).  Every item in existence has had at least one!

Well, here it is...the electron...The Cosmic Thread.