Obscure Organs – Part 6

Nerve cells can be a pain, whether it is a pinched nerve, overactive nerve or just chronic pain. Innovations involving nerve blocking agents has been a medical growth area. We might be tempted to think life would be great if we didn’t experience pain. But think again. A baby born with a condition called congenital analgesia is just one of the rare cases where one cannot feel pain. It is an extremely dangerous condition and usually results in death during childhood due to injuries or illnesses going unnoticed. The scientific process whereby a nerve cell transmits a signal (action potential) to the brain to be interpreted as a feeling is a biological wonder. It involves an initial stimulus which is received by the nerve dendrites. By an tiny electrical change (about 110 millivolts), achieved from letting in sodium ions, the message moves down the axon to the terminals. There it might get picked up by another nerve and transmitted all the way to the brain. The sciatic nerve is the largest and longest nerve, traveling from the lower back down to the feet. Neural impulses travel through the nervous system at speeds of 350 feet per second! Our body is wired full of nerves, with 30 billion neurons in the brain alone. Just as nervous sensations and pain are important in the physical realm, the Bible in Romans 2 tells about a spiritual sensing agent: “their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing…” Our conscience communicates when we have a serious issue of violating God’s moral code, a condition requiring healing through Jesus Christ (I John 1:9). Deadening our conscience might feel good for a moment, but it is highly dangerous and does not solve the root problem!

Posted on July 3, 2017 by dwoetzel.