DNA & Soul

Modern science is so advanced and researching extensively, it is not able to explain the reasons for not being able to produce living beings, despite entire physical materials are available. Modern synthetic biology till now could only produce single cell microbe on experimental basis from the root materials from another living being. Scientists didn't claim that they created life itself from scratch. Had they put the DNA into an already-dead cell, nothing would have happened. Further, science is not in a position to explain, why children of one parents are so different in nature, behavior and tendencies, despite generally similar environment and grooming.

The riddle was explained in 6th - 7th century BC by Mehrishi Kapil in Samkhya Darshan, one of the six philosophies in Hinduism. He differentiated between living and non-living components of life. Physical body is manufactured by materials available in the nature; whereas spark of life in form of jivatma enters in the physical body to provide it life. (An article on Samkhya Darshan published on 21.09.2018 on this website under the category of Philosophy)
 
Hinduism has thoroughly probed the influences on the personalities of a person. Three forces work on the personalities of a person viz. external environment gathered through ten organs (five senses – sight, hearing, touch, smell & taste and five organs of action- feet, hands, rectum, genitals & mouth), physical body formed from DNA and impressions of previous lives carried through jivatma which create internal impulses and thoughts.
 
The various aspects of ingredients for life according to Samkhya Darshan and Modern Science are discussed hereunder.
 
 Samkhya Darshan - Prakriti and Soul

1. According to Samkhya Darshan, Prakriti (nature) and Jivatma (soul) are the ingredients for the life. Prakriti is root of material forms and is not produced. From Prakriti, Mahat (बुद्धि, intellect) is produced which in turn produces ego (अहंकार). From ego manas (mind, मन), five subtle elements or tanmatras, arise and they in turn produces five gross elements (पांच भूत), five organs (instruments) of senses or perception and five organs of actions.  These are 23 elements.
2. Prakriti produces various organs and body of living being.
3. Other than Prakriti is Jivatma. Jivatma is different from body, senses and conscience.
4. Jivatma (soul, जीव) is pure, permanent, perceptive, neutral, inactive, confined (enveloped by body) and independent. Jivatma is not the cause of universe. It is different from internal and external organs. Pleasure or pain is not the attributes of Jivatma but perceived by it. Jivatma is audience (witness) of miseries. Prakriti being inert cannot be luminous and Jivatma is luminous. Jivatmas are many which are evident from so many births & death taking place.
5. When activities of external instruments/organs of senses & actions, mind and impact of desires, retire/cease; Jivatma stabilises in its own self, covering of Jivatma vanishes and it attains moksha.

 
Modern Science – DNA
Modern Science over centuries could discover that all living beings like plants, animals, insects, birds, microorganisms, etc. differ from non-living things as they have minimum two activities viz. metabolic activities and reproduction, for which they require nutrition. Further, they respond to external stimuli. It is further discovered that from parents to offspring, the specific instructions contained in DNA are passed that make each type of living creature unique. The journey of modern science from building blocks of living bodies to synthesis of DNA is as under:

1. Modern scientists have estimated that the average human body contains about 30 to 40 trillion cells which are about 210 different types. 300 million cells die every minute. Human body mostly replaces itself every seven to 15 years. Some cells such as of central Nervous System, Lens etc. are never replaced. Each cell has nucleus and cytoplasm. Nucleus of each cell has 23 pairs of chromosomes. Out of the twenty three pairs, twenty-two pairs, called autosomes, look same in males and females and 23rd pair, the sex chromosomes, differs between males and females. Chromosomes of parents marry together to produce hybrid chromosomes.
2. Each chromosome is made up of double helix DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), the hereditary material, tightly coiled many times around proteins called histones that support its structure. DNA contains the genetic code of organisms. A gene is a segment of DNA that is passed down from parents to children and confers physical trait or character to the offspring. DNA holds the instructions for building proteins, and these proteins are responsible for a number of functions in a cell.
3. DNA is made up of molecules called nucleotides. Each nucleotide contains a phosphate group (PO4), a sugar group (deoxyribose, C5H10O4) and four different nitrogenous bases (A-adenine, T-thymine, C-cytosine and G-guanine). Proteins are made of amino acids, a group of 20 different chemicals with names like alanine, arginine, and serine. Different combinations of the letters ACGT give people different characteristics. Over three billion combinations of ACGT have been found in the human genome, or the collection of genetic features that can make up the human body.
4. In an article by Emily Sohn published on Dec. 13, 2018 (Journalist covering science, health, environment, adventure and more. @tidepoolsinc), it states as under:
5. Modern synthetic biology was born about 15 years ago with a fusion of ideas and techniques in engineering, molecular biology, biotechnology, and other fields. Venter (In 2010 J. Craig Venter and his team were the first to use entirely synthesized DNA to create a self-replicating microbe, dubbed Mycoplasma laboratorium) says, some synthetic biologists will probably always rely on existing cell parts and biological molecules, like membranes and nucleotides, as they build new cells. Even those going for the next level will use existing molecules — by, say, chemically modifying existing amino acids. Despite many breakthroughs that have produced precise tools for repairing and editing DNA, scientists still can’t explain how genes interact with each other or what makes them turn on or off.​
   

1. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318342.php

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