The Human Cell – at the core of Nature

The human body – a “utopia” generated and fed by trillions of cells. Since birth and until the very last moment of their lives, humans are under a continuous development and self-knowledge process. We are so complex that a life measured in decades is not enough to understand everything there is about the functioning of the human body and spirit. Yet, humans are supposed to get to know themselves, to show curiosity about the evolution of their own bodies. And question themselves: Is this a healthy evolution? Is it set on a BALANCED MODE, so that my BODY could thrive?

Ask yourself these mental questions every day and then reflect on your answers. Be always aware of the state your body is in. It is in this evolution that you will be able to get to know yourself and notice even the slightest change, positive or negative. Listen to your body, look at it. Very often, it will signal any condition or infection and show the effects of your mental state, positive or negative. The human cell reacts to any state: apathy, fatigue, depression, stress, euphoria, joy, diet, movement, environment, surrounding Nature. All the things and thoughts we impose on our body every day, from morning until we go to sleep, they all dictate the cell behavior and metabolic activity. This is why our metabolism fluctuates. We go through favorable periods of time where our body is protected by a strong immune system or through completely unfavorable times when we feel weak and vulnerable to any bacteria or virus. Some days, bacteria and viruses find ways to replicate and develop much quicker than the human body.

This alarming fact, in my opinion, should help us understand the importance of being aware of the evolution of our own body and of choosing carefully the food we ingest, our work schedule, the stress level we impose on ourselves, our environment, the skincare and medication we use, both on the shorter and longer term. We need to take responsibility for our own body because no one else can do it for us.

Cells regenerate monthly. Every 28 to 30 days, an automated cell regeneration process allows the body to replace cells that completed their activity with new ones ready to act according to their acquired role. 11 cell types have been identified in the human body: STEM cells; bone cells; blood cells; muscle cells; fat cells; skin cells; nerve cells; endothelial cells; sex cells; pancreatic cells; cancer cells. An indefinite number of cells originate then from these major types. Since 1809 and up to the present, scientists have succeeded in approximating a number of 10 trillion cells originating from around 200 sub-types of human cells for an average adult of 30 years of age and 1,72 m of height. All these trillions of cells work according to their specialized roles, 24/24, for the well-being of our body.

Cells form all the tissues in our body. If we look into our largest organ, the skin, cell activity is very important there. The skin is just like an acid mantle (4.5-5 pH) meant to protect the internal environment from harming factors such as viruses and bacteria. While maintaining an optimal skin pH is crucial, not many people are aware of it. When skin pH gets alkaline, it creates a favorable environment for bacteria growth.

Here is how you can avoid your skin pH getting alkaline: do not use soap frequently (soaps have a 8-10 pH); do not use astringent cleansers frequently; do not remove skin oil every day; avoid using hard tap water; do not exaggerate with invasive dermato-cosmetic procedures such as chemical peels, strong scrubs; give up sodas; use non-invasive skincare that is adapted to your skin type; balance your diet;

The human cell, just like any other cell in the Nature (both in plants and animals) tries to evolve and adapt through constant regeneration (formation) and replication (multiplication) methods. Any organism will try to survive with the help of others. And there are infinite ways in which Nature evolves. What happens when the human body gets invaded by certain bacteria? Let’s take an example: methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Bacteria infecting the skin have been classified in four major categories: Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, with over 60% being one of these three types: Staphylococcus, Corynebacterium and Propionibacterium. S. aureus is the most frequent bacteria in skin microbiosis leading to major infections such as folliculitis and acne.

Here is what happens at cell level when the Staphylococcus aureus invades a human host. It has the capacity to create an extracellular matrix and binding proteins. This behavior allows it to invade host cells by connecting to each cell that its system can penetrate. While settling into the epidermal tissue, it undergoes a chain reaction generating extracellular enzymes such as proteases, lipases, hyaluronidases and collagenases, destroying the tissue and facilitating the expansion towards deeper skin layers. S. aureus is known for producing AeE enterotoxins, E-D leucocidin, S. Aureus exotoxin and α-, β-cytotoxins, γ- hemolysin. On the other hand, the human body has the ability to produce staphylokinase (Sak) enzymes, that bind to defense cells and warn them of the pathogen presence, as well as aerolysin, that binds to the LL-37 human cathelicidin thus providing additional protection and preventing infection in the host body.

The Human Cell, at the core of Nature – a constant fight for survival and expansion. Humans come from Nature and we are so complex and unique that we deserve to take care of ourselves to the best of our abilities. In theory we all want to live as long as possible. In practice, how many of us love, respect and listen to their bodies, providing them with balanced and healthy care rituals. Very often, without even noticing, we take our bodies for granted and they do help us, up to a certain point.

To think list. Please think about the following questions and write your answers on your phone notepad. Work with these answers until you feel you have reached a sense of balance.

1. Environment: How healthy is your daily work environment? Consider the quality of water, air, substances you have direct contact with, noise, temperature;
2. Diet: Do you take three meals a day? If yes, at what times? If not, write down how often you get to eat in one day;
3. Stress, apathy, depression: how often you feel these?;
4. Dermato-cosmetic skincare: which of skincare products causes your skin to dry out? If this is the case, try to gradually replace them with moisturizing and vitaminizing products or simply do not use them on the long term.

Let me hear your thoughts or questions in the comments section.