The Biology of the Human Body

The human body is composed of several billion cells linked together by a countless number of unique and varied molecules. Each human is a unique individual, the product of his genetic heritage as well as his or her life experience: environmental and epigenetic factors which play a role in determining how the information contained in our DNA will manifest itself.

Indeed, each human body is the unique product of its internal biochemical reactions, dictated by the stimulus cells receive over time, with the resulting repercussions on the physiological, immunological, morphological and anatomical, etc., being. This describes what we loosely call the ''landscape of our bodies'' - a landscape which, throughout our lifetime, constantly evolves. 

The combination of these biochemical reactions -- called the intermediary metabolism -- occur in our bodies daily.  A veritable chemical factory, in which food is converted into smaller units, assimilated as the raw material to create new cells which, in turn, serve to replace the old, worn-out cells.

Inevitably, this process creates waste material which, if not expelled from our bodies, can poison us.  Rest completes the process, giving our bodies the much needed opportunities to effect these internal repairs.

Intra-cellular and physiological mechanisms (e.g. the liver, kidneys and the digestive system) protect us from environmental attack from UV light, cosmic rays, chemical and biological pollution and toxins.  There also protective mechanisms at the molecular level whch serve to protect our genetic inheritance.

Our immune system comes to the aid of our cells, tissues, and organs by protecting and repairing our tissues.  But its role, above all, is to protect our entire organism against microbial invasions and to destroy damaged, potentially cancerous cells.

In short, there are several mechanisms constantly overseeing, protecting and repairing our bodies to ensure that our physiological systems (the landscape of our bodies) maintain a healthy equilibrium known as ''homeostatis''.

These physiological systems function continuously through a series of complementary and sometimes opposite processes (for example, the introduction of sugars into our cells thanks to hormones, followed by insulin, and finally, glucagons -- which then stop the introduction of sugars into the cells): by retroactive recognition (a signal which indicates to the pancreatic cells to stop production of insulin); and by duplication (other mechanisms which can step in and conpensate in the event of failure by an alternative system).

When equilibrium of these systems is lost, or failure of the maintenance mechanisms takes place, we then become more susceptible to the development of pathologies.  While dictated in large part by our genetic make-up and environmental factors (life-style, diet, exercice, stress, pollution, etc.), as we age, the impact of these environmental factors becomes increasingly important.