SELF SACRIFICE IN OUR BODY

There are a lot of wonderful events in our body. One of them is self sacrifice of the cells. This self sacrifice is not only an ordinary sacrifice. It is because when a cell do this, this cell will die. Usually, this self-sacrifice called Apoptosis.



Apoptosis happens in order to keep the amount of cells of the multicellular organisms in a normal amount. Beside that, this mechanism also plays an important role in the morphogenesis of fingers of embryo. If this mechanism doesn't happens, the embryo will have membranes between it's fingers. This mechanism also prevent cancer by keeps the amount of cells in mature organisms body always in constant number.

This mechanism is a wonderful mechanism. It is because not only can prevent a lot of disorders of our body, but also because this mechanism cause some of our cells body "kill themshelves". But how, this mechanism may happens? and how the cells that must death may kill themshelves only for the sake of the organism?

Apoptosis begins when a cell receive a "death signal" on it's receptors. This "death signal" will make a protein called ced 9 (where ced stands for "cell death") become inactive. The inactivity of this protein will automatically activates two kind of proteins which will cause damage in the cell by cutting the DNA and many others. Then the cell dies. After that, this "suicide" cell will be "gulped" by the nearby cell.

There are still many mysteries left in this mechanism. It is because how can a cell that doesn't have ability to think may sacrifice itself for the sake of organism that it consist wherease as humans, sometimes we can be arrogant and doesn't want to yield for other people.