Creation Station
Science and Technology
DNA — God's Code for Life DNA Double Helix
One
of the greatest accomplishments in modern science has been the growing
understanding of the genetic code, DNA. The initials stand for
deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the sugar that holds the genetic code
in the nucleus of every cell. This code carries the information for the
physical structure of the body. The code consists of four "letters",
adenine, guanine, cytosine and thymine.
DNA knowledge has expanded dramatically in recent years with its best
known use being in criminal identification. By comparing genetic
sequences it is now possible to identify an individual with as much
certainty as fingerprints.
The Human Genome Project is a research project to map out the structure
of human DNA. Although news accounts make it seem as though the genetic
mapping is a done deal, it's not quite that simple. The two research
teams came up with different numbers of genes in the nucleus. Also the
mapping so far is only tracing out the location of the genes, it's not
yet to the point where the researchers actually know what most of the
genes do. It is like having a road map with only a few street names
listed.
What is known though is remarkable. There are at least 30,000
individual genes in human DNA and one of the more amazing things about
them is that these individual genes can perform multiple tasks. How
this is possible, like so much about the cell, is not understood.
Although he is not a Creationist, biochemist Michael Behe in his book
Darwin's Black Box documents this amazing order and complexity and how
the interactive parts could never have come together by chance, that it
must be the result of intelligent design. He uses the example of the
mousetrap. Take away any part of the trap and it is totally useless.
The same thing is true for the cell. Evolutionist Richard Dawkins in
his book The Blind Watchmaker claims that an imperfect cell would
somehow be able to function at some level, but that's not true. Even if
95% of the cellular machinery were in place ready to go, the cell would
not be 95% useful, but 100% useless, because cells will self-destruct,
a process called apoptosis, if everything inside does not function
properly.
Sometimes organisms will mutate and develop traits that can give them
an edge in survival, survival of the fittest. The problem with trying
to apply this theory to a cell is that unless a cell is 100% ready to
function from the beginning it will die and therefore can't be selected
by the environment to survive. There is no natural way to explain how a
cell could arise out of dead chemicals instantly ready to function.
The Creation message in the Bible is about the order and complexity
that God put into His Creation, including DNA. David tells us in Psalm
139:14 that "we are fearfully and wonderfully made". Although the
process of cellular division is understood, what is not known is how
the individual cells are assigned the specific roles in the body. All
cells in a body contain the same DNA, yet each cell develops a specific
function while in the womb that it will follow from then on. What is
not understood is how, out of the mass of undifferentiated cells that
exist in the early stages of development, the individual cells are
assigned their specific roles, that is what DNA does. This is one thing
that "fearfully and wonderfully made" means as God's DNA guides the
development of the baby.
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
Psalm 139: 14-15
