Linapangidwa Kuti Likhale Kosatha

THUPI la munthu linapangidwa modabwitsa kwambiri. Kuumbika kwake ndi kukula kwake ndi zodabwitsa zedi. Mlembi wakale anadzuma kuti: “Chipangidwe changa nchowopsa ndi chodabwiza.” (Salmo 139:14) Pozindikira bwino lomwe zodabwitsa za thupi la munthu, asayansi ena amakono amazunguzika mutu ndi ukalamba ndi imfa. Kodi inunso mumatero?

“Ukalamba,” analemba motero Steven Austad, katsŵiri wa biology pa Harvard University, “timakumana nawo kwambiri nthaŵi zonse kwakuti zimandidabwitsa kuti anthu ambiri samauona monga chinsinsi chachikulu m’biology.” Chifukwa chakuti munthu aliyense amakalamba, Austad anatero, “chimachititsa [ukalamba] kuoneka kukhala wosadabwitsa kwenikweni.” Komabe, mukaganizapo kwambiri, kodi ukalamba ndi imfa zili ndi tanthauzo lililonse?

Chaka chatha, m’buku lake lakuti How and Why We Age, Dr. Leonard Hayflick anavomereza kuti moyo wa munthu ndi kakulidwe kake nzodabwitsa nalemba kuti: “Pambuyo pochita zozizwitsa zochokera pa kutenga mimba mpaka kubadwa ndiyeno kufika pa kukhwima kwa mphamvu ya kugonana ndi pa uchikulire, chibadwa chinasankha kusapanga njira yooneka kukhala yosavuta kwambiri yochirikiza zozizwitsa zimenezo kosatha. Kwa zaka makumi ambiri chidziŵitso chimenechi chadabwitsa a biogerontology [awo amene amafufuza za ukalamba wa zamoyo].”

Kodi inunso ukalamba ndi imfa zimakudabwitsani? Kodi chifuno chake nchiyani? Hayflick anati: “Kwenikweni kakulidwe konse ka moyo kuyambira pa kukhala kwa mimba kufika pa uchikulire kali ndi chifuno, koma ukalamba ulibe. Nkovuta kudziŵa chimene ukalamba umakhalirako. Ngakhale kuti taphunzira zambiri ponena za mmene ukalamba umachitikira . . . , sitikudziŵabe chifuno cha ukalamba umene mapeto ake amakhala imfa.”

Kodi zingakhale zoona kuti sitinayenera kukalamba ndi kufa koma m’malo mwake kukhala ndi moyo kosatha pa dziko lapansi?

Chikhumbo cha Kukhala ndi Moyo

Inde mukudziŵa kuti pafupifupi aliyense safuna kukalamba ndi kufa. Ndipotu, ambiri amawopa zimenezo. M’buku lake lakuti How We Die, dokotala wina Sherwin B. Nuland analemba kuti: “Zikuoneka kuti palibe ndi mmodzi yemwe wa ife amene mtima wake umamlola kuganiza za imfa yake, za mkhalidwe wachikhalire wosadziŵa kalikonse—wopanda kalikonse.” Kodi mukudziŵa aliyense amene amafuna kukalamba, kudwala, ndi kufa?

Komabe, ngati ukalamba ndi imfa zinali zachibadwa ndi kuti ndi mmene tinapangidwira, kodi sitikanazivomereza? Koma sitimatero. Chifukwa? Yankho lake likupezeka m’chipangidwe chathu. Baibulo limati: “[Mulungu] waikadi umuyaya m’maganizo [mwathu].” (Mlaliki 3:11, Byington) Chifukwa cha chikhumbo chimenechi cha mtsogolo mosatha, anthu kwa nthaŵi yaitali afunafuna wotchedwa kasupe wa unyamata. Amafuna kukhalabe achichepere kosatha. Zimenezi zikudzutsa funso lakuti, Kodi tikhoza kukhala ndi moyo wotalikirapo?

Linapangidwa Kudzikonza Lokha

Polemba m’magazini akuti Natural History, katswiri wa biology Austad anasonyeza zimene ambiri amaganiza kuti: “Timakonda kudziona ife eni ndi zinyama zina mofanana ndi mmene timaonera makina: kuti kutha kwathu nkosapeŵeka konse.” Koma zimenezi si zoona. “Matupi a zamoyo ali osiyana kwambiri ndi makina,” Austad anatero. “Amadzikonza okha: mabala amapola, mafupa amakonzeka, nthenda zimachira.”

Chotero, nali funso lodzutsa chidwi, Nchifukwa ninji timakalamba? Monga momwe Austad anafunsira: “Nanga nchifukwa ninji [matupi a zamoyo] amapereseka ndi kutha mofanana ndi makina?” Popeza kuti maselo m’thupi amadzikonza okha, kodi sayenera kupitiriza kutero kosatha?

M’magazini a Discover, katswiri wa biology ya chisinthiko Jared Diamond anafotokoza za mphamvu yodabwitsa imene matupi a zamoyo ali nayo yodzikonza okha. Analemba kuti: “Chitsanzo choonekeratu cha mmene matupi amasamalira kuvulala ndicho kupoletsa chilonda, kumene kumakonzanso khungu lathu lovulala. Zinyama zambiri zimachita zodabwitsa kwambiri kuposa zomwe tingathe: abuluzi amabwezeretsa michira yawo yoduka, starfish ndi nkhanu ziŵalo zake, ndi ma sea cucumber matumbo ake.”

Ponena za kumera kwa mano, Diamond anati: “Anthu amamera mano kaŵiri, njovu kasanu ndi kamodzi, ndi mashaki kosaŵerengeka m’moyo wawo.” Ndiyeno anafotokoza kuti: “Kubwezeretsa zowonongeka nthaŵi zonse kumachitikanso m’tinthu tating’onong’ono. Ife timabwezeretsa maselo a khungu la mkati mwa matumbo athu kamodzi masiku angapo alionse, a m’chikodzodzo kamodzi miyezi iŵiri iliyonse, ndi maselo athu ofiira kamodzi miyezi inayi iliyonse.

“Ponena za mamolekyu (molecules), mamolekyu athu a maproteni amasintha nthaŵi zonse, proteni iliyonse ikumachita zimenezo paliŵiro lakelake; nchifukwa chake sitimakhala ndi mamolekyu owonongeka ounjikana m’thupi. Chotero mukayerekeza kaonekedwe ka wokondedwa wanu lero ndi kaja ka mwezi wapita, iye angaoneke chimodzimodzi, koma iliyonse ya mamolekyu ambiri opanga wokondedwa wanuyo ngosiyana ndi oyamba aja. Pamene kuli kwakuti makolo ake a Kamdothi analephera kumlumikizanso, chibadwa chimatiswa ndi kutilumikizanso masiku onse.”

Nthaŵi ndi nthaŵi maselo ochuluka a thupi amaloŵedwa m’malo ndi atsopano. Koma maselo ena, monga ma neuron a ubongo, sangabwezeretsedwe. Komabe, Hayflick anafotokoza kuti: “Ngati mbali iliyonse ya selo yaloŵedwa m’malo ndi ina ndiye kuti silikhalanso selo limodzimodzi lija lakale. Ma neuron amene munabadwa nawo angaoneke kukhala maselo amodzimodzi lero, koma kwenikweni mamolekyu ake ambiri omwe anapanga iwo pamene munabadwa . . . angakhale ataloŵedwa m’malo ndi mamolekyu atsopano. Choncho maselo amene samadzigaŵa mwina sangakhale nkomwe maselo amodzimodzi omwe munabadwa nawo!” Chifukwa chake nchakuti mbali zake za maselo zimaloŵedwa m’malo ndi zatsopano. Chotero, mwa kungoyerekeza, kubwezeretsedwa kwa mbali za thupi kungatikhalitse ndi moyo kosatha!

Kumbukirani kuti Dr. Hayflick anatchula za “zozizwitsa zochokera pa kutenga mimba mpaka kubadwa.” Kodi zina za zimenezi nzotani? Pamene tikuzipenda mwachidule, talingalirani ngati zimene iye anatcha “njira yosavuta kwambiri yochirikiza zozizwitsa zimenezo kosatha” zingagwire ntchito.

Selo

Munthu wachikulire ali ndi maselo pafupifupi 100,000,000,000,000, ndipo limodzi ndi limodzi lili locholoŵana kwambiri mosamvetsetseka. Poyesa kufotokoza mwachitsanzo kucholoŵanako, magazini a Newsweek anafanizira selo ndi mzinda walinga. “Nyumba zamagetsi zimatulutsa mphamvu ya selo,” anatero magaziniwo. “Mafakitale ake amapanga maproteni, milimo yofunika kwambiri pamalonda a za makhemikolo. Njira zocholoŵana za kayendedwe zimapititsa makhemikolo akutiakuti kuchoka pamalo ena kumka ku ena ndi kunja kwake. Alonda pamalodibuloko amalamulira kayendedwe ka malonda ogulitsa ndi oitanitsa katundu kunja, ndipo amayang’anira kunja kuona ngati kuli zowopsa zilizonse. Asilikali ake odziŵa mwambo amaima chire kuti alimbane ndi adani. Boma lake lamajini limene lili malikulu ake limasungitsa bata.”

Talingalirani mmene inuyo—wopangidwa ndi maselo pafupifupi 100,000,000,000,000—munakhalirako. Munayamba monga selo limodzi limene linapangika pamene ubwamuna wa atate wanu ndi selo la dzira la amanu zinagwirizana. Pakugwirizana kumeneko, mapulani a selo latsopanolo anapangika mkati mwa DNA (chidule cha deoxyribonucleic acid) kuti apange chimene potsirizira pake chinakhala inuyo—munthu watsopanodi ndi wapaderadi. Akatswiri amati ngati malangizo a mkati mwa DNA “angalembedwe, akhoza kudzaza mabuku chikwi chimodzi amasamba 600 limodzi.”

M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, selo loyambiriralo linayamba kudzigaŵagaŵa, kukhala maselo aŵiri, ndiyeno anayi, asanu ndi atatu, choncho basi. Potsirizira pake, patapita masiku ngati 270—nthaŵi pamene maselo mamiliyoni zikwi zambiri amitundu yambiri yosiyanasiyana anakula m’mimba mwa amanu kupanga khanda—INUYO munabadwa. Zikuchita ngati kuti selo loyamba lija linali ndi chipinda chachikulu cha mabuku amalangizo ambirimbiri opangira inuyo. Koma zodabwitsanso kwambiri nzakuti malangizo ocholoŵana ameneŵa anaperekedwa kwa selo lililonse lotsatira. Inde, chozizwitsa nchakuti selo lililonse m’thupi lanu lili ndi malangizo amodzimodzi onse amene dzira lokhwima loyambirira linali nawo!

Talingaliraninso zotsatirazi. Popeza selo lililonse lili ndi malangizo opangira maselo onse osiyanasiyana, pamene nthaŵi inafika, mwachitsanzo, ya kupanga maselo a mtima, kodi malangizo opanga maselo ena onse anatsekerezedwa motani? Mwachionekere, likumachita ngati womanga nyumba wokhala ndi kabineti yodzala mapepala a mapulani opangira khanda, selo linasankhula m’kabineti ya mafaelo ake mapulani opangira maselo a mtima. Selo lina linasankhulapo mapulani osiyana okhala ndi malangizo opangira maselo a minyewa ya ubongo ya mauthenga, linanso linasankhulapo mapulani opangira maselo a chiŵindi, choncho basi. Kunena zoona, luso limeneli losafotokozeka pakali pano limene selo lili nalo la kusankhula malangizo ofunika kupangira mtundu wakutiwakuti wa maselo ndiyeno nthaŵi imodzimodziyo kutsekereza malangizo ena onse lili chimodzi cha “zozizwitsa [zambiri] zochokera pa kutenga mimba mpaka kubadwa.”

Komabe, pali zambiri. Mwachitsanzo, maselo a mtima amafunika kusonkhezeredwa kuti azifinyika mobwerezabwereza. Chotero, mkati mwa mtima munapangidwa njira yocholoŵana yopangira mphamvu yamagetsi yochititsa mtima kugunda paliŵiro loyenera kuchirikiza thupi pa ntchito imene limachita. Nchozizwitsa chotani nanga! Nchifukwa chake madokotala amati ponena za mtima: “Umagwira bwino ntchito kuposa makina amtundu ulionse opangidwa ndi munthu.”

Ubongo

Chozizwitsa chokulirapo kwambiri ndicho kakulidwe ka ubongo—mbali yovuta kwambiri kumva ya chozizwitsa chaumunthu. Patapita milungu itatu kuchokera pa kukhala kwa mimba, maselo a ubongo amayamba kupangika. M’kupita kwa nthaŵi, maselo a minyewa ya ubongo ya mauthenga yotchedwa ma neuron pafupifupi 100 biliyoni—chiŵerengero cha nyenyezi zili mu mlalang’amba wa Milky Way—amadzala mu ubongo wa munthu.

“Iliyonse ya imeneyi imalandira malangizo kuchokera ku ma neuron ena a ubongo pafupifupi 10,000,” anatero magazini a Time, “ndipo imatumiza mauthenga kwa enanso okwanira chikwi chimodzi.” Poona kuthekera kwake kwa kulunzanitsa, wasayansi ya ma neuron Gerald Edelman anati: “Mbali ya ubongo yaing’ono monga mutu wa macheso imakhala ndi mfundo pafupifupi mamiliyoni chikwi chimodzi zimene zingagwirane mwanjira zimene tingangoti ndi zochuluka koposa—kukwana chiŵerengero chosatha.”

Kodi zimenezo zimapatsa ubongo mphamvu yotani? Katswiri wa zakuthambo Carl Sagan anati ubongo wa munthu ungasunge chidziŵitso chimene “chingadzale mavoliyumu pafupifupi mamiliyoni makumi aŵiri, amene angakwane m’malaibulale aakulu koposa padziko lonse.” Mlembi George Leonard anawonjezera, akumati: “Mwinamwake tsopano tingapereke lingaliro lovuta kukhulupirira lakuti: Kwenikweni, mphamvu yonse ya kuchita zinthu imene ubongo uli nayo njosatha.”

Chotero sitiyenera kudabwa ndi ndemanga zotsatirazi: “Ubongo,” anatero katswiri wa biology ya mamolekyu James Watson, wotumba naye mnzake wa mpangidwe wa DNA, “ndiwo chinthu chocholoŵana koposa chimene tapeza pakali pano m’chilengedwe chathu.” Katswiri wa ma neuron Richard Restak, amene amaipidwa kufanizira ubongo ndi kompyuta, anati: “Kupambana kwake kwa ubongo nkwakuti kulibe kulikonse m’chilengedwe chodziŵika kumene tingapeze chinthu chofanana nawo mpang’ono pomwe.”

Asayansi ya ma neuron amati m’moyo wathu wonse, timangogwiritsira ntchito mbali yaing’ono ya mphamvu yomwe ubongo uli nayo, pafupifupi 1/10,000 yokha, kapena 1/100 ya 1 peresenti, malinga ndi kuyerekeza kwina. Tangolingalirani. Kodi nkoyenera kuganiza kuti tikanapatsidwa ubongo wokhala ndi mphamvu zodabwitsa zotero ngati sunayenera kugwiritsiridwa ntchito wonse? Kodi sikoyenera kuganiza kuti anthu okhala ndi mphamvu ya kuphunzira kosatha, anapangidwadi kukhala ndi moyo kosatha?

Ngati zimenezo zili zoona, nchifukwa ninji timakalamba? Kodi chinalakwika nchiyani? Kodi nchifukwa ninji, pambuyo pa zaka 70 kapena 80, timafa, ngakhale kuti matupi athu mwachionekere analinganizidwa kukhala kosatha?

[Chithunzi patsamba 7]

(Onani m’magazini yeniyeni kuti mumvetse izi)

Selo—Luso Lozizwitsa

Khungu la Selo: Khungu limene limasamalira zoloŵa ndi kutuluka m’selo

Nucleus: Yokhala mkati mwa thumba la makungu aŵiri, ndiyo likulu limene limalamulira ntchito za selo

Ribosomes: Malo pamene ma amino acid amalumikizana kupanga maproteni

Chromosomes: Ali ndi DNA ya selo, pulani yaikulu ya majini

Nucleolus: Malo kumene kumapangidwa ma ribosome

Endoplasmic Reticulum: Miyalo ya makungu imene imasunga kapena kunyamula maproteni opangidwa ndi ma ribosome omamatira kwa iwo (ma ribosome ena amayenda paokha m’selo)

Mitochondria: Malo opangirako ATP, mamolekyu amene amapereka mphamvu ya m’maselo

Golgi Body: Kagulu ka matumba akhungu ophwatalala amene amasunga ndi kufalitsa maproteni opangidwa ndi selo

Centrioles: Amakhala pafupi ndi nucleus ndipo ngofunika kwambiri pakupangika kwa maselo