(Excerpts from book:
MIND POWER (1980) CH 8, Author - Swami
Vijnananand (S.V.), Manashakti publication)
Emergence of Life, the chain is:
1. Primitive
Ocean with non-rational structure….. 2. Nucleic acid molecule / equivalent of
free living gene….. 3. Multiplication with nucleic acid in ocean in the
sunlight. ….. 4. Original viruses (non-parasite) 5. Collection of genes:
(chromosomes). 6. Single cell organism.
The question of life is related to origin of controversy
regarding the nature of life. The question under examination is:-
Was the original form of life -
-
The specialized
development of matter or
-
Spirit merely
using the texture of matter as a suitable staircase for its appearance. (Non-matter
is using matter for life’s appearance).
Let us consider this aspect “Nature of Life” from bottom
end, i.e. Virus.
8.2. What is
virus?
a)
Virus an important
link connecting the living organism with inanimate nature. (Border between life
and lifeless.) An attribute of living organism is metabolism but viruses do not
have this property.
b)
Viruses are
singular, very primitive forms of existence of protein bodies. They
simultaneously possess attributes of animals and inanimate matter. They do not
breathe and have no cell structure, no nuclei, cytoplasm and organoids. They
cannot multiply (grow) outside the cell of other organism, but inside the cell
of other organism, they increase in number. Many viruses are agents of disease
in human beings, animals and plants.
c)
Certain viruses
have been obtained in the form of crystals of nucleoproteins, which can be
dissolved, precipitated again and recrystallized without loss of their
essential biological properties.
d)
The American
biochemist W.M..Stanley first isolated virus, in crystalline form in1935. Other
viruses were also isolated in crystalline form. Among them is a virus of polio.
e)
Viruses are
visible only under electron microscope.
f)
Virus converts
itself to the simplest form of living creature.-
Increase in
size to a definite degree increases the complexity of the chemical constitution
of virus and gradually approximates (almost equalizes) their properties to the
simplest form of the living creatures.
g) The origin of
the virus is very complex problem. : Scientists have not agreed whether
modern viruses are ancient forms that existed on the boundary between animate
and inanimate nature or whether they are secondary phenomenon arising from
pathological changes in the Part of animal or plant cells.
Virus: - Can this be considered as “non-living” or is
this life in dormant stage?
Since certain viruses can be crystallized, can they be
considered as non-living? Or is it the case of life being dormant?
The indirect answer is: Is a sleeping man dead? Is a stored seed waiting new
plantation considered dead? No. Here the life is in dormant stage.
Viruses are considered to represent free genes. In search of gene theory you find threshold of physical
science, crossed. How can one bring the spirit of life back to the material consideration?
Original virus Virus: - A free living gene
We have seen that viruses multiply only in the cell of
other organizations. If they are considered as origin in the life, then how
they could multiply when there was no life and no cells of other animals?
Here we see the answer to the problem. We have seen the chemical scene on the earth and
formation of Primitive Ocean with non-rational structure. In the chemical
evolution when “nucleic acid molecule” was formed the equivalent of free living
gene, (transferred from complex improved structured coaservate drops) or any
viruses, were present in the ocean, and they multiplied at the expense of
organic compounds that had been built up all about them by the action of sun.
Original viruses, non-parasitic
These original viruses were not parasites for there was nothing
for them to be parasitic upon.
Virus (gene) ------------ Chromosome
The life had finally gotten down to the bare chromosome.
The smallest viruses were nothing more than collection of wild genes (created
from coaservate drops) ready to invade cells and impose their own will upon
them, over and above supervision of the cell’s own genes. They (gene-virus) mutate like any cell organism and their
genes are similar even if their patterns of heredity transmission may be
unique.
The book MIND POWER explains gene “imposing its will” in
point 8.4 where as in point 8.5 possibility of viral DNA becoming integral part
of chromosome is explained with references.
Virus (gene), imposing its will, later becoming integral
part of chromosome and then replicating along with the reminder of the
chromosome. Thus here we see that the gene, virus can enter the life of
animal/man etc. to impose its free will
Virus destroying cell completely.
In point 8.6 the book explains how a virus called
bacteria phage attaches to the cell and devours it (eats like a beast)
completely.
What apparently happens is this:-
·
The virus attaches
itself to the surface of its choice.(or part of it)
·
Enters the cell
and literally disappears.
·
The virologist
(virus expert scientists) looks and sees no traces of virus. (Even if he grinds
up the cell, he fails to liberate a demons ratably infective agent.)
·
Twenty four
minutes later the cell bursts releasing 200 new fully formed virus particles,
ready to infect new cells.
·
The host cell is
dead, drained and broken.
Viruses don’t grow and reproduce, they replicate. Since
these are the things we observe, we are clearly unjustified in stating that
virus grow and reproduce, we only know that they replicate.
Virus is a concrete clue.
With all these ghastly pictures of aggression,
multiplication, growth, birth how can the whole process be merely the material
process? Virus is a domain with such complexities that we have to
turn back to it, after we see its different invasions through bacteria, plant,
men.
Cell
Cell is undoubtedly agreed as a primary unit consisting
of life. The fundamental distinguishing properties of the living cell
consist in its ability:-
(i)To assimilate material necessary to its structure from
the surrounding medium
(ii)To turn these materials in to the substances used for
the growth of its body.
(iii)To divide in to two similar cells, each of its own
size (and capable of growth), when its geometrical dimensions become too large
These abilities to eat, to grow and to multiply are of
course common to all more complex organisms made up of individual cell.
Salt crystal
If we drop a small salt crystal in a super saturated salt
solution in water, the crystal will grow by adding to the surface successive
layers of salt molecules extracted from the matter. We can even imagine that,
because of some mechanical effects, as for example, the increased weight of
growing crystal, they will break up in to two halves after reaching a certain
size and then the - baby crystal- so
formed will continue the process of growing.
Why should not we also classify this process “Life
phenomenon”?
This is not a life phenomenon, because…..
The food which the crystal uses for its growth is
accumulated into its body without changes from its form in the solution. (It is
not digested). The molecules of salt collect themselves on the surface of
growing crystal. This is ordinary mechanical accretion (matter which is added
to and accumulates in layers) instead of typical bio chemical assimilation.
Also the multiplication of crystals by occasional breaking up in to irregular
parts of no predetermined properties as a result of sheer mechanical force of
weight has but little resemblance to the precise and constant biological
division of living cells into halves, which is brought about chiefly by
“internal force”.
8.3 Three characteristics of Living.
Life cannot be given explanation only on physical terms.
If one attempts to give only physical explanation then the life phenomenon
turns mysterious. But if the concept of “mind and its desire” are taken as a
scientific base then the life phenomenon does not remain mysterious.
Unknown factors (In science)
(i) We don’t yet know
whether viruses without an envelope enter the cell intact, with subsequent
release of more nucleic acid or whether the protein coat remains at the cell
surface while nucleic acid enters the cytoplasm alone.
(ii) How viral nucleic
acid dominates the metabolism of the host cell is imperfectly understood.
(iii) Sometimes too
there are complex interactions between the virus and host cell and the
synthesis of various enzymes is required to produce viral molecules. This too
involves a greater amount of nucleic acid in the virus.
(iv) We do not yet know
how virus brakes out of animal cell, but the release of lissome enzymes may
play a part.
(v) Plasma gene (part
of cell influencing inheritance) of one host turning into virus in another
suitable host.
(vi) How tobacco mosaic
virus can be used as a source of protein by animals.
(vii) A mutation may
occur in a body cell (somatic mutation) and is then transmitted to all cells
derived from mitosis from that cell.
(Mitosis: -
The usual method of cell division, characterized typically by the resolving of
chromatin by the nucleus into a thread like form, which condenses into
chromosomes each of which separates into two parts. One part of each chromosome
being retained in each of two new cells resulting from the original cell.)
Nature of life is “non-matter” not “matter”
What has already been said appears to be sufficient
(Further consideration follows in this book) to convince us of the fact that science
at present is crossing the threshold of the purely physical explanation of
“mysterious” phenomenon of life.
Nature’s secrets could be understood.
Wisdom added to the secret of nature (secrets, not at the
instance of nature, but at the instance of ego elevated man) can be
meaningfully deciphered (understood, resolved)
(The biological laws, when studied with “mind” considered
as a scientific entity, will reveal rational behind the so called
secrets/paradoxes.)
Summary:
- Virus: life in dormant
stage, an
important link connecting the living organism with inanimate nature. The
attribute of living organism is metabolism but viruses do not have this property.
Viruses are singular, very primitive forms of existence of protein bodies. They
simultaneously possess attributes of animals and inanimate matter. They do not
breathe and have no cell structure. They cannot multiply (grow) outside the
cell of other organism, but inside the cell of other organism, they increase in
number.
- Cell is
undoubtedly agreed as a primary unit consisting of life. The fundamental distinguishing properties of the
living cell consist in its ability:-
(i)To
assimilate material necessary to its structure from the surrounding medium
(ii)To turn
these materials in to the substances used for the growth of its body.
(iii)To divide
into two similar cells, each of its own size (and capable of growth).
- Life is the
association of matter (body) and non-matter (mind). If mind leaves the body the life comes to an end. Desire (of associating
or leaving) is the attribute of non-matter (mind).
(Note: This is an attempt to
make reader friendly interpretation of the book “MIND POWER” based on my
perception. Inquisitive readers are requested to refer to the original book to
cross check their understanding.)
Vijay R. Joshi.
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