Written by Pastor Anthony Jordan; Tecoma Washington; Dual State West District
Apoptosis from Ancient Greek ἀπό apo, "by or from.." and ptōsis, "fall").1 So apoptosis is the process of programmed, scheduled cell death.1 Death is something that we often think of as a negative. We presume that it is a traumatic event to be avoided at all costs. Yet it is in fact one of the most important events to allow life, as we know it. I found it very interesting that in apoptosis these biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes or morphology. Morph means to change the form or character of.2 So this death is a part of the changing of the form or character of the body.
This death is a part of the process of development. Through apoptosis the form and character is being changed. It is often at a funeral that wholeness happens. I’ve seen relationships healed and people grow up because of the “loss” of a loved one. Oh yes, I’ve seen the immature manifest their childishness and those who are not listening to the word and/or the Spirit of God have demonstrated their deafness.
But check this out, unlike necrosis, apoptosis produces cell fragments that phagocytic cells, the body’s clean up crew, are able to engulf and quickly remove before the contents of the cell can spill out and cause damage.1 The apoptotic cell changes shape, ceases to function and disassembles as it dies. As it falls apart those parts are encapsulated into lets call them garbage bags. Which the phagocytic cells collect before the contents spill out and poison the living cells that are in the area.
Apoptosis is a neat death, because it is a part of the design of life. We have a brilliant designer. Our builder knew that as we grew there would be those parts that would be needed for a season but in time would have to die because their season of helping was over. If they remained those cells would hinder the body, as they could not longer help the body.
Apoptosis is a highly regulated and controlled process that confers advantages during an organism's lifecycle. For example, the separation of fingers and toes in a developing human embryo occurs because cells between the fingers undergo apoptosis. There was a season in which those cells allowed and aided development. But as that baby grew the sustenance, structure and strength in each finger was sufficient that the fingers could survive independently. The time for those cells to die arrived. And as their death would allow independent movement an order was sent for the apoptosis of those cells.
They underwent morphological transition and fell apart. That their parts could be consumed, digested and recycled or excreted. There are chemicals and proteins within that dead cell that could be used as nurture or building blocks for those cells, which still live. And there are items within those cells that would only cause problems for the living. As my wife Lady Momo describes it the phagocytic cells will keep, give away and throw away. For another day is coming and tomorrow will not be exactly like yesterday if we make those choices during this day. Again the choices are keep, give away and throw away.
This is the process of dealing with death, change and living. We cannot run away from apoptosis we must deal with the byproduct of that apoptotic change by investigating the residue and make God guided decisions on what to keep from that person, place or experience. What to give away and to whom and what to just get rid of. Everything that was theirs, there or a part of that does not belong in our present or our future.
Between 50 and 70 billion cells die each day due to apoptosis in the average human adult. For an average child between the ages of 8 and 14, approximately 20 billion to 30 billion cells die a day.1 Billions of deaths daily within each of billions of living people in order that life can continue. Imagine how many billions of cell deaths have occurred between you and your family so far this year. And imagine how huge and dysfunctional you and they would be if those deaths did not occur. And as we close know that if those cells did not obey the order to die as directed, you or they would be suffering from the horrible disease we call Cancer.
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
2. http://www.merriam-webster.
3. Photo: http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/apoptosis.htm