Existence of Eternal Soul
DR. FAZLUL ISLAM
EXISTENCE OF ETERNAL SOUL
Highly energetic chemistry is believed to have produced a self-replicating molecule around 4 billion years ago and half a billion years later the last common ancestor of all life existed. The current scientific consensus is that the complex biochemistry that makes up life came from simpler chemical reactions. The beginning of life may have included self-replicating molecules such as RNA, and the assembly of simple cells.1, 2
Fig-1: DNA Double Helix Heritable traits are known to be passed from one generation to the next via DNA, a molecule that encodes genetic information. DNA is a long polymer composed of four types of bases. The sequence of bases along a particular DNA molecule specify the genetic information, in a manner similar to a sequence of letters spelling out a sentence. Before a cell divides, the DNA is copied, so that each of the resulting two cells will inherit the DNA sequence. Portions of a DNA molecule that specify a single functional unit are called genes; different genes have different sequences of bases. Within cells, the
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long strands of DNA form condensed structures called chromosomes. The specific location of a DNA sequence within a chromosome is known as a locus. If the DNA sequence at a locus varies between individuals, the different forms of this sequence are called alleles. DNA sequences can change through mutations, producing new alleles. If a mutation occurs within a gene, the new allele may affect the trait that the gene controls, altering the phenotype of the organism.3 Genes are the pieces of DNA that carry genetic information. Genes determine an individual 's general appearance and to some extent their behavior. If two organisms are closely related, their DNA will be very similar. On the other hand, the more distantly related two organisms are, the more differences they will have. For example, brothers are closely related and have very similar DNA, while cousins share a more
EXISTENCE OF ETERNAL SOUL
Highly energetic chemistry is believed to have produced a self-replicating molecule around 4 billion years ago and half a billion years later the last common ancestor of all life existed. The current scientific consensus is that the complex biochemistry that makes up life came from simpler chemical reactions. The beginning of life may have included self-replicating molecules such as RNA, and the assembly of simple cells.1, 2
Fig-1: DNA Double Helix Heritable traits are known to be passed from one generation to the next via DNA, a molecule that encodes genetic information. DNA is a long polymer composed of four types of bases. The sequence of bases along a particular DNA molecule specify the genetic information, in a manner similar to a sequence of letters spelling out a sentence. Before a cell divides, the DNA is copied, so that each of the resulting two cells will inherit the DNA sequence. Portions of a DNA molecule that specify a single functional unit are called genes; different genes have different sequences of bases. Within cells, the
1
long strands of DNA form condensed structures called chromosomes. The specific location of a DNA sequence within a chromosome is known as a locus. If the DNA sequence at a locus varies between individuals, the different forms of this sequence are called alleles. DNA sequences can change through mutations, producing new alleles. If a mutation occurs within a gene, the new allele may affect the trait that the gene controls, altering the phenotype of the organism.3 Genes are the pieces of DNA that carry genetic information. Genes determine an individual 's general appearance and to some extent their behavior. If two organisms are closely related, their DNA will be very similar. On the other hand, the more distantly related two organisms are, the more differences they will have. For example, brothers are closely related and have very similar DNA, while cousins share a more
References: 1. Shaikh Sharafuddin, The notion of evolution through the ages, Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1981. 2. Biological Evolution, Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia. 3. Swanson TA, Kim SI & Glucksman MJ, 2007, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 4th edition, Lippincott Williums & Wilkins, Philadelphia, USA. 4. Ingram-Smith C & Smith KS, 2005, Biochemistry and Genetics, 2nd edition, McGraw-Hill Company, New York, USA. 5. Scientific Indications in the Holy Qur’an, Board of Researchers, Islamic Foundation Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1995. 6