I listened to “Mitochondria”, an episode of “In Our Time”, initially out of interest and the will to learn something while I was driving. I actually gained a lot more than I expected, and the podcast has provided me with another article of eye-opening realization. You can search in the little box on this page for “In Our Time” to find several other reviews I’ve written.
WHAT I LEARNED
In June of 2023 three experts in biology and Darwinian evolution recorded lots of fascinating facts about mitochondria, prompted by the intrepid host, Melvyn Bragg (the guest list is below). Opening the discussion, Nick Lane informs us that mitochondria are structures (more specifically “organelles”) within every eukaryotic cell. This means they’re at work in every cell of your body, in plants, fungi, algae and amoeba. They’re known as the “powerhouse” or the battery of the cell, because they take what we feed them (another good reason to eat healthy) turn it into a useable form of energy, and run our metabolism. This process is incredibly complex, and it’s absolutely vital to us all. No mitochondria, no life.
Mitochondria have their own DNA, which means we all have two genomes. Mitochondria operate with electrical power. If you were able to shrink to the size of a molecule and stand next to a mitochondrion, the electrical field over its membrane would carry as much power, relatively speaking, as a bolt of lightening. Lane believes that this electrical power is what keeps us alive.
Evolutionists such as Lane are convinced that mitochondria “arose” around two billion years ago, but he admits that they have no idea how. To be fair, it is said at the outset of the podcast that “mitochondria were once bacteria”. No evidence for the evolution from bacteria to mitochondria is offered, and no explanation as to how or why that may have happened, apart from the fact that early researchers, unable to see clearly into the cell, thought they “looked like” bacteria. They apparently still “look and behave like bacteria”.
Well, are they bacteria or aren’t they? Scientists have attempted to “culture them”, without success.
ONCE
Having said that mitochondria were once bacteria, Lane is asked when “once” was. The team must not have realized that the “once” word used here sounds spookily like an abbreviation of the phrase “once upon a time”. The answer, according to the current theory of evolution is “about two billion years ago”. That is, two billion years after life began. However, our expert goes on to share – candidly – the fact that the formation of mitochondria is something of a contested mystery among scientists. Herein is one of the earth-shaking, unintended admissions of the podcast. These complex structures, he says,
“…appeared quite abruptly. We still argue between ourselves as scientists about quite how they arose”.
They’ve told us that mitochondria “arose” around two billion years ago, and yet they don’t know how they arose. I’m sure they have some ideas, but how do these two facts fit together? If they had hard evidence or could produce observable repetitions of mitochondria “arising” they should also know in some detail how they arose. If they don’t, why assert so confidently that they did “arise”? The answer, of course, is that they ignore God totally, leaving the only option, that they must have evolved. Their mission is to concoct a coherent story to explain it all without reference to a Creator.
FOOD TO ENERGY
Mike Murphy discusses in some detail how components of our food are converted into a universal energy – “ATP”(adenosine triphosphate) energy, which is then stored and used by the cell. Murphy concurs with Melvyn that these operations, at work throughout the day in every cell of our bodies, are “astonishing”. However, he says, “It’s important to distance ourselves”.
Why, Mike? Are you afraid to confront the stark glory and the impossibility of it all?
As we breathe, 95% of the oxygen we take in is being used by mitochondria to consume sugars and fats. Many kilograms of food are being processed inside our bodies every day.
ANOTHER PROFOUND QUESTION GOES UNANSWERED
At this point Melvyn asks a huge question. He’s quite good at that from time to time, but never pursues the matter when the question isn’t answered. It most certainly was not answered on this occasion. Here’s the question:
“Do we know how that came about?”
Mike completely avoids answering this question, speaking only about presently observable processes of the mitochondria. However, we must be in awe of those processes outlined by Mike and said by him to be “astonishing”, involving protons being passed through ATP synthase, an enzyme. The ATP synthase is “like a tiny turbine”. It rotates a few hundred times a second as the protons pass through. It’s a dynamo, constantly replenishing the ATP.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA
Florencia Camus Explains that while most of our DNA is within the nucleus of the cell, mitochondria has thirteen protein coding genes, arranged in a circle. These are responsible for making some of the products of the energy factories in mitochondria, the rest being made in the nucleus.
At this point Melvyn observes:
“So each of us is walking around with a massive industry inside us”.
Camus answers, “That’s correct, yes”… “It’s incredible”.
COINCIDENTAL SINGULARITIES!
The observation of mitochondria that they formed billions of years ago and are vital for life is a recurring theme in numerous “In Our Time” discussions. Whether it’s photosynthesis, fungi, pheromones, hormones, vital parasites or enzymes, they all evolved or “arose” two or three billion years ago, are essential to life, and display no evidence in the fossil record as to how they arose. Additionally, they don’t arise now. It all happened once – once upon a time – these many forms and processes vital to life, in a symphony of incredible “coincidences” – coincidences because without any one of them there could be no life.
Let’s put this phenomenon into a simple phrase which explains it all beautifully:
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1).
All things were created at one time, fully formed and functional, by the Mind above all minds. Without that mind, there would have been no intelligence or information to plan, design and bring into being and into an incredible inter-relationship all of these amazing aspects to life – never mind all the others we haven’t considered.
ON THE EVE OF A REVELATION
The BBC’s own introduction to this podcast includes the following statement:
“The DNA in mitochondria is only passed down the maternal line. This means it can be used to trace population movements deep into human history, even back to an ancestor we all share: mitochondrial Eve“.
The BBC’s observation is, of course, not intended as a reference to the Eve of Biblical Scripture. It is, however, a reference to a progenitor: there was indeed a beginning to humanity. But how did that beginning occur, and how did it occur in unspeakably intricate and profoundly vital reliance on numerous-countless other beginnings? To my mind, there is only one option – the God of the Bible, and HE is worthy of all praise and glory, for ever and ever.
GUESTS ON “IN OUR TIME”: MITOCHONDRIA:
Mike Murphy
Professor of Mitochondrial Redox Biology at the University of Cambridge
Florencia Camus
NERC Independent Research Fellow at University College London
Nick Lane
Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry at University College London
A LINK TO THE PODCAST
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001md34
MY REVIEWS OF “IN OUR TIME” CAN BE FOUND BY ENTERING “IN OUR TIME” IN THE LITTLE SEARCH BOX AT THE TOP OF THIS PAGE.
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