Your Health Your Choice by M. Ted Morter

Author:M. Ted Morter [Morter, M. Ted]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Frederick Fell Publishers, Inc.
Published: 2012-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

Different types of cells perform different functions. The function of bone cells is not the same as that of heart cells: a bone is rigid and a heart contracts and expands; a liver cell makes up some chemicals and changes things around; a kidney cell filters; and a pancreas cell secretes.

Of our 75 trillion cells, about 25 trillion are red blood cells. There are distinct differences between blood cells and the other cells of the body. Red blood cells are principally transportation specialists. Their primary job is to carry oxygen from the lungs. Mature red blood cells have no nucleus, mitochondria, or endoplasmic reticulum, but they do have enzymes in their cytoplasm and can metabolize glucose and form small amounts of ATP. Red blood cells are formed in bone marrow and live about 120 days before being destroyed.5

White blood cells (leukocytes) are formed in both bone marrow and lymph tissue. There are six different types of white blood cells, plus platelets. White blood cells are the body’s defenders. They contribute to the effectiveness of the immune system and to clotting of blood. Some white cells seem to have “kamikaze” tendencies – they consume invading intruders and, in the process, are destroyed. White blood cells have a short, functional life span.

Most cells, with the exceptions of red and white blood cells, can reproduce themselves by splitting into two cells, a process known as mitosis. The life-cycle from reproduction to reproduction is ten to thirty hours for a rapidly reproducing cell.6 Reproduction is a continuous process for certain cells, such as the skin and blood-producing cells of the bone marrow. On the other hand, some types of muscle cells reproduce only infrequently, and others not at all.

Liver cells can accomplish awesome feats of reproduction. After surgical removal of over eighty percent of the liver, the cells can divide and multiply sufficiently to replace nearly the whole organ.

Cells of an embryo also reproduce at an impressive rate. In the process, they can change to form different body parts and organs. The entire human body begins with one fertilized egg cell which proliferates. From this one egg cell come others that alter size, shape and function to become the 75 trillion-cell body that takes us through life.

When you realize that everything you put in your mouth has an effect on the cells that are the foundation of your physical being, it presents a whole different view of eating. Eating can be fun and a socially enjoyable pastime. However, eating serves an infinitely more important function than being merely an exercise in fellowship or satisfaction of appetite. Particular foods either enhance or contaminate cells and their surroundings. Refueling your body needs to be both healthfully profitable as well as physically and psychologically pleasant.

Food tastes are acquired. We generally eat foods similar to those we ate as children, foods that are common to our culture, or foods of other cultures that are currently in vogue. In any moderate-size American town you can find an assortment of

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