In the previous article we reviewed briefly the story of man's creation and the wonders of our amazing bodies, including some detail about our eyes. We could present many articles on other details of the body's wonders, but space limits us to only a few.
The Brain
The brain, one of the most important parts of the body, fits snugly into a strong, protective skull, which in a newborn baby remains rather soft so it can grow with the baby's development. At a certain age, the skull hardens and becomes a strong shield for the brain.
There are three main parts to the brain: the cerebrum, made up of two halves, the cerebellum in back of it, and the medulla oblongata (sometimes referred to as the brain stem) located at the back of the head just above the spinal column.
The cerebrum is the most important part. It takes messages from all over the body and sends instructions back to all these parts, telling them what they are to do at any given moment.
The cerebellum's main job is to keep in touch with all the muscles, telling them when they are to be in action or when to relax and be still. For instance, if a boy is standing at home plate on a baseball diamond, he doesn't think about what is going on inside his brain. But whether he knows it or not, he can't lift the bat over his shoulder until the cerebellum tells his arm and hand muscles exactly what to do, nor can he swing at a pitched ball unless muscles all over his body—legs, arms and back—have received instructions from his brain. Finally, running off to first base, his entire body is obeying those brain-given instructions without his having to consciously think about it.
The brain stem is important too. One of its chief duties is to see that what are termed “instincts” are not neglected but put into action when necessary. This would include the functions of our noses and lungs every time we breathe, the beating of our hearts, blinking our eyes, swallowing a bite of food and others.
Actually, the duties of every part of the brain are far beyond anyone's ability to understand and are much more wonderful than the achievements of all the world's newest, specialized computers put together. And this represents just one area of the Creator's wonderful provisions for us.
When we think of the wonderful works of the Lord, how it must please Him to hear us say, just as Isaiah did, “Oh Lord, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name; for Thou hast done wonderful things” (Isaiah 25:11O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. (Isaiah 25:1)).
(to be continued)
ML-04/06/2008