Posted on 12/10/2008 5:02:34 PM PST by GodGunsGuts
The Delicate Balance of Ear Crystals
by Brian Thomas, M.S.
UCLA researchers have discovered that tiny crystals called otoliths—necessary parts of a properly functioning inner ear—form not as the direct result of a gene product, but rather as the result of the physical, swaying motion of hair-like cilia during development.
As adult vertebrate bodies move about, otoliths are pulled by gravity and enable the detection of movement, which is vital for maintaining balance. The researchers studied these crystals in fish embryos, where they accumulate as gelatinous proteins mixed with calcium carbonate. When fully and properly formed, the crystals lie atop sensitive beds of cilia, which are fine, hair-like cellular extensions that are responsible for translating roll, pitch, and yaw information from the semicircular canals of vertebrates’ ears.
In their study published in Nature, the scientists discovered that otolith formation required more than just genes—in this case, properly functioning cilia.1 This represents another example of an “epigenetic” factor influencing development, whereas a few short years ago scientists thought that purely genetic causes were responsible for the formation of biological structures.
But there is additional significance to this research. The researchers disabled the gene for the protein dynein, the molecular motor responsible for ciliary motion. The result was that the otoliths “did not assemble in the correct site. So not only did ear crystals form in the wrong place, but they were misshapen and abnormally sized,” according to co-author Kent Hill.2 So the crystals, rows of cilia, sensory cells, skull cavities, inner ear membranes, neuron connections, and many other parts must each be correctly formed for vertebrates to detect motion.
Not only are otoliths complex (being a crystalline arrangement of matter), but their timed and directed formation must result in the correct placement, shape, number, and size for balance detection to work at all. The same Creator who “curiously wrought” us in our mothers’ wombs,3 has similarly set up ciliary swaying as the means to build vertebrate ear otoliths. These crystals’ role in maintaining balance, as well as the precise requirements of their construction, shows clear indications of the Creator’s hand.
References
1. Colantonio, J. R. et al. The dynein regulatory complex is required for ciliary motility and otolith biogenesis in the inner ear. Nature. Published online prior to print November 30, 2008, 8.
2. Schmidt, E. Can you hear me now? How the inner ear's sensors are made. UCLA press release, November 30, 2008.
3. Psalm 139:15.
Irrelevant. - The owner and creator of Freerepublic has said plainly that it is a creationist forum.
There are other places you can go that have the lower standards that you crave.
No scientist, nor rational thinker was ever purged; just evolutionists, the enemies of rational thinking, and science.
I bet you're a lot of fun at parties too, eh?
There were no fossils 6000 years ago; the fossils are the result of the Genesis judgement, about 4500 years ago.
It's too bad that not everyone thinks this way. Elitist liberals enforce their opinions of science on the masses, and in order to do so, they have to sue people into silence to control their godless NEA liberal public schools.It's the only way they're able to succeed.
You are welcome to your faith. I support Christianity, I think it is a bedrock part of our culture. I do not believe that the physical evidence supports a “young” earth.
You can argue that a creator created the physical evidence for an old earth when he created the young earth, but that does not change the physical evidence.
Actually I think that this information much more supports the theory made by Rupert Sheldrake in his book “A New Science of Life” (The Hypothesis of Morphic Resonance).
“The theory consists of an addition to the chemical and physical properties of materialism, something in addition to the DNA code in random mutations and non-random natural selection, an additional force what many vitialists have always acknowledged; the idea of higher organizational states. And here it is the theory of morphogenetic fields and formative causation. The idea of morphogenetic fields first developed by embryologists such as Conrad Waddington and later mathematically by theoreticians such as Rene Thomas. “
So it’s ok for the Evos to post links supporting Darwin’s fanciful creation myth, but it’s not ok for Creationists and IDers to post post the OVERWHELMING evidence to the contrary?!?! I hate to break it to you, but a majority of the Reagan coalition is comprised of Creationists and IDers. If our perspective is too much for you to bear, may I suggest there a better places for YOUR posts.
==I have seen the arguments “evolve” as each of the anti-evolution arguments were destroyed.
Talk, talk, talk.
Interesting. Thanks for the ping!
But you were spared. It must be because you are neither a scientist nor a rational thinker.
The Crystals in my ears must be acting as some wierd noise generators because I have tinnitus lol Tune in Tokyo-
Interesting article
[[I have seen the arguments “evolve” as each of the anti-evolution arguments were destroyed]]
Oh really? Then you won’t mind stepping up to the plate, gettign beyond mere generalized opinions, and present those anti-ID destroying artiles then? Oh- and I’m NOT itnerested in ‘evidence’ that is NOTHING BUT OPINIONS and ASSUMPTIONS with NO scientific evidence to support- ‘Destroyed’? Lol- yep- sure it was.
—— the proof/clear explanation how the eye did so, and
—— whatever he's on
I'm not picky - either will make me happy
[[Haven’t you heard? Even the Evos are starting to abandon the HMS Beagle in search of a new evolutionary theory that isn’t so flagrantly out of sync with the actual scientific data. LOL]]
Most of hte objective ‘thinking scientists’ are- but htose scientists who supposedly were ‘purged from FR’ dogmatically hold onto the dead hypothesis of Darwinism- hence hte reason they left en mass to start a site of hteir own that indulges in the petty tactics of attackign the messenger because they can’t attack the message (At least htey can’t do so with actual scientific evidence that isn’t rife with fantastical assumptions and biolgicaly impossible scenarios about past events for which they haven’t a clue about. Their motto “When hte goign gets tough- call the oponent a big poopie head and scream that ID scientists are psuedo-scientists” That’s some durn fine science right there Mr. Johnson!
[[Rare is the scientist who lives life in a straightjacket. They believe in evolution because it has been proven correct.]]
Oh really? Then you won’t mind stepping up to the plate, gettign beyond mere generalized opinions, and present those anti-ID destroying artiles then? Oh- and I’m NOT itnerested in ‘evidence’ that is NOTHING BUT OPINIONS and ASSUMPTIONS with NO scientific evidence to support- ‘Proven Correct’? Lol- yep- sure it was.
I hate to break it to you, but materialist evolution is 100% impossible.
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