Today's New Reason To Believe Archives

February 2004

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, February 29

Although some Christians are skeptical about the veracity of the big bang model for the origin of the universe, it continues to receive a steady stream of confirmations. A recent astronomical survey of the most distantly observed galaxies in the universe (when the universe was only about 7 percent of its present age) revealed that the galaxies are much smaller and jammed more tightly together. These properties confirm a key prediction of the big bang model, namely that as the universe expands from the creation event, galaxies would grow larger through mergers and would move progressively farther apart. This finding adds to the cumulative case for the big bang model and is consistent with the biblical description for the origin of the universe.
- M. Dickinson et al., “Color-Selected Galaxies at z ~ 6 in the Great Observatories Origins Deep Survey,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 600 (2004), L99-L102.
Related Resource: Big Bang - The Bible Taught it First! by John Rea and Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: The Creator and The Cosmos, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, February 28

One version of the young-earth creation model suggests that the laws of physics changed at the fall of Adam, introducing entropy for the first time. Reasons To Believe’s creation model asserts, however, that the laws of physics have been fixed since creation (Jeremiah 33:25). This study of the “fine structure constant” (a fundamental physical constant or “law”) across a broad scope of cosmic history puts these models to the test. Measurements on quasars across a wide range of distances prove that the “fine structure constant” does not vary by any more than two parts per ten trillion per year. These measurements affirm that the value of the “fine structure constant”, which must be fine-tuned for physical life to be possible, indeed was designed into the physics of the cosmos from its beginning.
- John N. Bahcall, Charles L. Steinhardt, and David Schlegel, “Does the Fine-Structure Constant Vary with Cosmological Epoch?” Astrophysical Journal 600 (2004), 520-43.
Related Resource: A Precise Plan for Humanity, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Lights in the Sky and Little Green Men, by Hugh Ross, Kenneth Samples and Mark Clark

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, February 27

Although some Christians are skeptical about the veracity of the big bang model for the origin of the universe, this theory continues to receive a steady stream of confirmations. One prediction that flows out of the big bang model is that for the first eight billion years following the creation event galaxies should increase in size in proportion to the age of the universe. This prediction was verified by images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope of galaxies early in cosmic history. This finding adds to the cumulative case for the big bang model and is consistent with the biblical description for the origin of the universe.
- Henry C. Ferguson et al., “The Size Evolution of High-Redshift Galaxies,” Astrophysical Journal 600 (2004), L107-L110.
Related Resource: Big Bang - The Bible Taught it First! by John Rea and Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: The Creator and The Cosmos, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, February 26

One of the predictions of Reasons To Believe’s creation model is that God purposefully ordered His creation miracles in order to make an ideal planetary home for humanity. This prediction was further verified when astronomers discovered that the universe was already producing stars early in cosmic history (between 700 million to 3 billion years old) nearly as copiously as it did at its maximum (about seven billion years old). Early, vigorous star formation would be necessary in order for Earth to reach the metallicity requirements necessary for human life. Such a complex series of finely tuned events are indicative of what we would expect from a Creator whose careful, loving design purposefully prepared the cosmos for human beings.
- M. Giavalisco et al., “The Rest-Frame Ultraviolet Luminosity Density of Star-forming Galaxies at Redshifts z > 3.5,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 600 (2004), L103-L106.
- Casey Papovich et al.,“Evolution in the Colors of Lyman Break Galaxies from z ~ 4 to z ~ 3,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 600 (2004), L111-L114.
Related Resource: The Faint Sun Paradox, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, February 25

Scientists continue to encounter dead ends in their search for habitable planets. A team of astronomers a couple years ago claimed that an Earth-type planet capable of supporting life conceivably could exist in planetary systems like the one associated with the star 55 Cancri. (This hypothesis is featured in our video documentary Journey Toward Creation.) The team found that a small planet could orbit 55 Cancri within the “habitable zone” where liquid water upon the planet’s surface would be possible if the planet had a rapid rotation rate and an atmosphere with the just-right greenhouse effect. However, for the planet to have a stable orbit with both the necessary low eccentricity and inclination, it would need to orbit 55 Cancri so closely that tidal locking would result in a rotation period far too long for life to survive. Earth and the solar system still appear unique in their capacity to support life.
- W. Von Bloh et al., “On the Possibility of Earth-Type Habitable Planets in the 55 Cancri System,” Astrobiology 3 (2003), 681-88.
Related Resource: A Precise Plan for Humanity, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, February 24

Paley’s classic Watchmaker argument is thought by many atheists to have been discredited by the work of 18th century skeptic, David Hume. However, the eerie resemblance between biomolecular machines in the cell and man-made devices revitalizes this powerful argument for Intelligent Design. Adding to the growing list of literal machines inside the cell, researchers have just discovered myosin, a literal linear motor, replete with lever arms and hinges. Researchers engineered a myosin-like motor that moves in the opposite manner to wild-type myosin using the myosin motor domain, a molecular directional inverter and an artificial lever arm. The elegant design indicates that these biomolecular machines, and all of life’s chemistry, must be the work of a divine Motor Maker.
- Georgios Tslavallaris et al., “Molecular Engineering of a Backwards-Moving Myosin Motor,” Nature 427 (2004), 558-61.
Related Resource: Nanodevices Make Megascopic Statement, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Travels to the Nanoworld, by Michael Gross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, February 23

Well-designed systems include quality control checkpoints at critical junctures to ensure efficient production of high quality products. Many biochemical operations inside the cell employ quality control procedures, which seem to require forethought. This study describes new insights into one such system, an enzyme that repairs damage to DNA molecules. As biochemists continue to characterize the cell’s chemical systems, the evidence for design mounts and with it evidence that life is the product of a Creator.
- J. Christopher Fromme et al., “Structural Basis for Removal of Adenine Mispaired with 8-Oxoguanine by MutY Adenine DNAGlycosylase,” Nature 427(2004), 652-56.
Related Resource: Biochemistry and the Bible: Collaborators in Design, by Joe Aguirre
Product Spotlight: Darwin’s Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution, by Michael Behe

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, February 22

Yet again, scientists turn to the designs found in nature to inspire new technology. In this case, researchers demonstrate that bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) provide the insight needed to develop new antibiotics. Scientists hope to develop chemical compounds that mimic viral metabolic features that arrest critical cell processes. Apart from the design found in nature, these researchers lacked the ability to develop novel antibiotics even though biochemists have extensive understanding of cellular chemistry. Does it make sense to conclude that the designs found in nature stem from random undirected processes when they are far superior to what humanity can accomplish on its own?
- Jing Liu et al., “Antimicrobial Drug Discovery through Bacteriophage Genomics,” Nature Biotechnology 22 (2004), 185-91.
- Steven Projan, “Phage-Inspired Antibiotics?” Nature Biotechnology 22 (2004),167-68.
Related Resource: Nanodevices Make Megascopic Statement, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Travels to the Nanoworld, by Michael Gross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, February 21

As recently as ten years ago, microbiologists viewed bacteria as a “container” of haphazardly arranged molecules. Recent advances, however, have revealed that this view is incorrect. Microbiologists now understand these simplest of life forms possess a remarkable degree of internal organization at the molecular level. This article adds to this new understanding by identifying previously unrecognized organizational complexity for the chemical signaling pathways of bacteria. The internal organization of the simplest life forms serve as markers for biochemical design and are expected if a Creator is responsible for life.
- Claudia A. Studdert and John S. Parkinson, “Crosslinking Snapshots of Bacterial Chemoreceptor Squads,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 101 (2004), 2117-22.
Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face-Off, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Origins of Life, by Hugh Ross and Fuz Rana (now accepting pre-orders)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, February 20

Why would a loving God create harmful bacteria? This question epitomizes the problem of natural evil and troubles Christians and skeptics alike. Evolutionists claim that disease-causing microbes co-evolved with their human host, while some Christians claim that disease is a result of Adam’s sin. This report indicates that early childhood fevers caused by microbes reduce the incidents of allergies and asthma later in life. It turns out that exposure to disease-causing microbes helps to develop the immune system in young children. The suffering caused by disease-causing bacteria is overshadowed by a greater good. In this way, harmful bacteria can be understood as part of God’s good creation.
- "Early Fevers Associated With Lower Allergy Risk Later In Childhood," ScienceDaily.com.
Related Resource: Microbial Diseases a Part of God’s Good Design, Creation Update (airdate 03-25-2003)
Product Spotlight: The Problem of Evil, Message of the Month series (2004)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, February 19

Paley’s classic Watchmaker argument is thought by many atheists to have been discredited by the work of 18th century skeptic, David Hume. However, the eerie resemblance between biomolecular machines in the cell and man-made devices revitalizes this powerful argument for Intelligent Design. Adding to the growing list of literal machines inside the cell, researchers have just discovered dynein, a molecular motor that powers the movement of organelles around the cell’s interior. These researchers demonstrate that dynein functions as a literal gear when it moves organelles throughout the cell and is able to shift gears by making shorter, more powerful strokes under heavy loads. The elegant design indicates that these biomolecular machines, and all of life’s chemistry, must be the work of a divine Motor Maker.
- “Cytoplasmic Dynein Functions as a Gear in Response to Load,” Nature 427 (2004), 649-718.
Related Resource: Nanodevices Make Megascopic Statement, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Travels to the Nanoworld, by Michael Gross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, February 18

RTB advocates putting both creation and evolution to the test. The theory of evolution predicts that evolutionary trees built from physical similarities (morphological data) should match those built from genetic data. This study identifies one example in which this is not the case. These researchers found that genes once thought to be unique to vertebrates are found in primitive coral, but not in invertebrates. This makes it seem like corals are more closely related to humans than other invertebrates. In response to these unexpected results, the research team concludes, “Our preliminary survey… appears to turn upside down several preconceived ideas about the evolution of animal genomes.” The data simply doesn’t match the theory of evolution’s predictions. This (and other evidence) calls into question evolution’s validity at a foundational level.
- R. Daniel Kortschak et al., “EST Analysis of the Cnidarian Acropora millepora Reveals Extensive Gene Loss and Rapid Sequence Divergence in the Model Invertebrates,” Current Biology 13 (2003), 2190-95.
Related Resource: Repeatable Evolution or Repeated Creation? by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Icons of Evolution (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, February 17

Although many people recognize that forest fires are beneficial for life, few understand that the processes involved appear to be fine-tuned. The means by which black carbon (charcoal from forest and grass fires) is cycled throughout the biosphere is critical for maintaining an abundance of diverse advanced life forms. An interdisciplinary team has discovered that the means are much more complex than previously noted. This greater complexity implies that more terrestrial processes must be fine-tuned, thereby increasing the evidence for supernatural design.
- Angela F. Dickens et al., “Reburial of Fossil Organic Carbon in Marine Deposits,” Nature 427 (2004), 236-38.
- Michael W. I. Schmidt, “Carbon Budget in the Black,” Nature 427 (2004), 305-07.
Related Resource: The Faint Sun Paradox, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, February 16

Was there ever a prebiotic soup on early Earth that spawned the first life forms? Origin-of-life researchers acknowledge that the conditions on much of the early Earth were unsuitable for the production of prebiotic compounds. For example, scientists now know that the early Earth’s atmosphere could not have supported the production of prebiotic compounds. In the quest for another source of these necessary compounds, some origin-of-life researchers have proposed that these prebiotic materials, and maybe even life, formed at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. In support of this scenario, researchers point to results of laboratory experiments in which these prebiotic compounds form under simulated hydrothermal vent conditions. This recent study calls into question some of the results of these simulation experiments. The researchers show that some of the compounds “formed” in these experiments are actually introduced as contamination from the apparatus. This, and other evidence, indicates that a prebiotic soup never existed on early Earth. Without a soup, evolutionary origin-of-life scenarios cannot work.
- Alexander Smirnov and Martin A. A. Schoonen, “Evaluating Experimental Artifacts in Hydrothermal Prebiotic Synthesis Experiments,” Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere 33 (2003), 117-27.
Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face-Off, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Origins of Life, by Hugh Ross and Fazale Rana (now accepting pre-orders)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, February 15

Scientists have found more evidence that Earth’s biosphere is designed for human life. European climatologists have discovered that the recent input of greenhouse gases into Earth’s atmosphere as a result of fossil fuel burning stimulates more than just increased global temperatures. It also produces much higher variability of temperatures at least in those regions where fossil fuel burning is most intense. An observed effect is extreme summer heat and extreme winter cold throughout Europe. This finding testifies to the exquisite nature of the design of the biosphere necessary to produce benign conditions for human habitation and civilization, and is consistent with a Creator capable of orchestrating a complex series of circumstances to facilitate our survival.
- Christoph Schär et al., “The Role of Increasing Temperature Variability in European Summer Heat Waves,” Nature 427 (2004), 332-36.
Related Resource: The Faint Sun Paradox, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, February 14

Skeptics frequently have questioned why an all-powerful, all-wise God would have designed human bodies to require an average of eight hours a day of sleep. It seems inefficient because there’s too much “down time.” A team of neuroscientists recently discovered that while the muscles in the human body typically do not require eight hours a day in order to function optimally, the brain does. They found that sleep is particularly beneficial for inspiring insight into challenging mental problems. In other words, sleep inspires brilliant thinking. Therefore, what appears to be an inefficiency in human bodies actually reflects the efficiency of a wise Designer.
- Ullrich Wagner et al., “Sleep Inspires Insight,” Nature 427 (2004), 352-54.
- Pierre Maquet and Perrine Ruby, “Insight and the Sleep Committee,” Nature 427(2004), 304-05.
Product Spotlight: The Genesis Question, by Hugh Ross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, February 13

Evolutionary biologists maintain that “junk DNA” provides incontrovertible evidence for evolution. This study demonstrates that endogenous retroviruses (one of the many classes of junk DNA) play a role in placental physiology. This newly identified function for endogenous retroviruses indicates that careful planning by an Intelligent Designer, rather than undirected, random biochemical events, shaped the genomes of an organism.
- Francois Mallet et al., “The Endogenous Retroviral Locus ERVME1 is a Bona Fide Gene Involved in Hominoid Placental Physiology,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 101 (2004),1731-36.
Related Resource: Retro-viruses -- “junk” DNA update, Creation Update (airdate 10-14-03)
Product Spotlight: Icons of Evolution (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, February 12

One question that skeptics frequently ask, “Why did God create bacteria, since they cause disease?” finds an answer in this report. This article describes new understanding about the key role that stomach bacteria play in maintaining human health and well-being.
- Michael Hopkin, “Probiotic Bacteria Health Boon,” Nature Science Update (February 3, 2004).
Related Resources:
- Microbial Diseases a Part of God’s Good Design, Creation Update (airdate 03-25-2003)
- Discussion of gut bacteria and their benefit to human hosts, Creation Update (airdate 04-01-03)
Product Spotlight: The Problem of Evil, Message of the Month series (2004)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, February 11

This report provides a powerful new demonstration of the personhood of the fetus and challenges the pro-choice position. Researchers have characterized the frequency range of sounds heard by human fetuses in the womb. Unborn children can perceive low frequency and vowel sounds much more readily than high frequency and consonant sounds. It is clear that prior to birth humans respond to auditory experiences. These experiences in the womb may very well contribute to language and speech development.
- Michael Hopkin, “Sounds Inside the Womb Revealed,” Nature Science Update (February 2, 2004).
Related Resource: Argument for the Silent, by Robert M. Bowman, Jr.
Product Spotlight: Moral Choices, by Scott Rae. Call 800-482-7836 to order.

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, February 10

A team of Italian astronomers significantly extended and strengthened the big bang creation model by demonstrating how the merging of galaxies explains the number density and type of quasars throughout cosmic history. They found that as the universe expands from the big bang creation event the number of galaxy mergers rises to a peak and then slowly declines. The number of quasars and the power manifested in them parallels this galaxy merging history of the universe, thus confirming a prediction as well as strengthening the big bang creation model as an accurate portrayal for the origin of the universe.
- N. Menci et al., “Quasar Evolution Driven by Galaxy Encounters in Hierarchical Structures,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 587(2003), L63-L66.
Related Resource: Predictive Power: Confirming Cosmic Creation, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, February 9

One defining feature of the cell’s chemistry is the fine-tuning required for biomolecules to effectively carry out life’s necessary operations. This review article describes the fine-tuning of the rates of destruction and reworking of damaged proteins by the cell’s machinery. This design serves as a quality control operation to ensure that only damaged proteins are removed from the cell. If the cell does not properly execute this operation diseases can result. Fine-tuning is one hallmark of well-designed man-made devices. This characteristic of biochemical systems is consistent with the idea that life originated from the Creator’s hand.
- Michael H. Glickman and Noam Adir, “The Proteasome and the Delicate Balance between Destruction and Rescue,” PLOS Biology 2 (January, 2004).
Related Resource: Fine-Tuning of Aquaporin Membrane, Creation Update (air-date 6-04-2002)
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Product Spotlight: Travels to the Nanoworld, by Michael Gross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, February 8

Astronomers have discovered what appears to be another design requirement for life: early supernova rates. Since the supernova eruption rate determines the availability of the elements essential for life, the eruption rate when a galaxy is young will be one factor that will determine whether or not that galaxy will ever gain the potential to support life. The orchestration of such a complex series of events would seem to require preplanning and thus, add to the cumulative case for supernatural design.
- Massimo Della Valle and Nino Panagua, “The Rate and Origin of Type Ia Supernovae in Radio Galaxies,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 587 (2003),L71-L74.
Related Resource: A Precise Plan for Humanity, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Saturday, February 7

Genetic studies of DNA taken from representatives of different population groups demonstrate that humanity had a recent origin from a single location. These studies also indicate that humanity’s original population size was small and that all of humanity traces back to a single woman, called “mitochondrial Eve” and a single man, called “Y chromosomal Adam.” Humanity expanded from near the Middle East to populate the globe. These results square with the biblical account of humanity’s origin. This new study describes a new modeling technique that will allow even greater detail about humanity’s origin and spread to be extracted from genetic data. This new methodology will provide new opportunities to test the biblical account of human origins and in the process generate even greater scientific support for it.
- Christopher A. Edmonds et al., “Mutations Arising in the Wave Front of an Expanding Population,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 101 (2004), 975-79.
Related Resource: New Y Chromosome Studies Continue to Support a Recent Origin and Spread of Humanity, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Friday, February 6

A watch requires a watchmaker. On this basis it logically follows that life requires a Creator. Biochemists have discovered that many molecules inside the cell function as molecular-level machines. In fact, some of these display an eerie resemblance to man-made machines. One newly recognized example is the enzyme complex (Hsp 104/ClpBchaperone). This enzyme system breaks apart protein aggregates that form when the cell experiences stress. Protein aggregates are harmful and are associated with several diseases. Therefore, the disruption of protein aggregates is part of the cell’s quality control system. The enzyme complex disrupts protein aggregates by using a molecular "hinge" and molecular "crowbar" that are part of its structure. The elegant design and stark resemblance to man-made motors indicate that these biomolecular machines, and all of life’s chemistry, must be the work of a divine "Motor Maker".
- Axel Mogk and Bernd Bukau, “Molecular Chaperones: Structure of a Protein Disaggregase,” Current Biology 14 (2004), R78-R80.
Related Resource: Nanodevices Make Megascopic Statement, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Travels to the Nanoworld, by Michael Gross

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Thursday, February 5

As the search for another life-sustaining planetary system continues, researchers discover another new design feature that points to an intelligent Designer. A UCLA astronomer found a Saturn-like ring near the surface of a white dwarf star. He demonstrated that a star’s rate of mass loss must be fine-tuned in order for life to survive. Even a slight deviation would destabilize any nearby planets and be deadly for life. This design feature provides another link in the cumulative case for the existence of a divine Designer.
- M. Jura, “A Tidally Disrupted Asteroid Around the White Dwarf G29-38,” Astrophysical Journal Letters 584 (2003), L91-L94.
Related Resource: A Precise Plan for Humanity, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Wednesday, February 4

The Bible teaches that the earth is cursed because of humanity’s sin (Genesis 3:17-20). One aspect of humanity’s sinful behavior has caused widespread ecological disaster. This study describes another historical example. It turns out that even though Thule Inuit peoples were nomadic, had low population densities, and practiced non-intrusive hunting practices, they dramatically altered water quality and ecology in the High Arctic lakes between 1200 and 1600 A.D. The consequence of their behavior still persists today. The Bible’s description of the Fall provides an explanatory framework for humanity’s negative impact on planet Earth.
- Marianne S. V. Douglas et al., “Prehistoric Inuit Whalers Affected Arctic Freshwater Ecosystems,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 101 (2004), 1613-17.
Related Resource: Decimation of the Killer Whale Ecosystem and a Christian Perspective on Environmentalism, Creation Update (airdate 10-14-2003).
Product Spotlight: Life and Death in Eden, by RTB Staff Scholars (cassette and CD)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Tuesday, February 3

Was there ever a prebiotic soup on early Earth that spawned the first life forms? Origin-of-life researchers acknowledge that the conditions of the early Earth were unsuitable for the production of prebiotic compounds. For example, scientists now know that the early Earth’s atmosphere could not have supported the production of prebiotic compounds. In the quest for another source of these necessary compounds, some origin-of-life researchers have proposed outgassing from the Earth’s crust as a source of the appropriate gases for the production of prebiotic compounds. This study demonstrates why this alternative scenario won’t work. It turns out that the Earth’s crust, based on analysis of the earth’s oldest rocks, was in the wrong oxidation state to generate the necessary gases that could sustain prebiotic compound production. This, and other evidence, indicates that a prebiotic soup never existed on early Earth, without which any evolutionary origin-of-life scenarios on the surface of the Earth cannot work.
- D. Lowry et al., “Oxygen Isotopes of an Early Archaean Layered Ultramafic Body, Southern West Greenland: Implications for Magma Source and Post-Intrusion History,” Precambrian Research 126 (2003), 273-88.
Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face-Off, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Origins of Life, by Hugh Ross and Fazale “Fuz” Rana (now accepting pre-orders)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Monday, February 2

Eukaryotic cells (also called complex cells) can be up to 100 microns in size. These cell types possess internal membrane-bound organelles and internal membrane networks. They also have a complex network of protein fibers that form an internal cytoskeleton that determines cell shape, gives the cell support and helps organize its contents. Eukaryotic cells are truly complex. Plants, animals, and fungi are made up of eukaryotic cells. Prokaryotic cells, on the other hand, are considered to be the simplest cells. (Bacteria are single-celled prokaryotes.) They are only 1 micron in size and only possess a cell wall. They have no internal structures. Until now, biologists did not think that prokaryotic cells possessed a cytoskeleton. Their simpler structure is generally thought to facilitate a naturalistic origin-of-life scenario. This study reports on the presence of a cytoskeleton in the bacteria Caulobactercrescentus. This cytoskeletonis responsible for this bacteria’s complex helical shape. It is quite likely that cytoskeletons are important features of other bacteria as well. It turns out that the simplest cells are much more complex than previously thought, consistent with the notion that a Creator is responsible for life.
- Joe Lutkenhaus, “Another Cytoskeleton in the Closet,” Cell 115 (2003),648-50.
- Nora Ausmees et al., The Bacterial Cytoskeleton: An Intermediate Filament-Like Function in Cell Shape,” Cell 115 (2003), 705-13.
Related Resource: Origin-of-Life Predictions Face-Off, by Fazale “Fuz” Rana
Product Spotlight: Origins of Life, by Hugh Ross and Fazale “Fuz” Rana (now accepting pre-orders)

Today’s New Reason To Believe – Sunday, February 1

The more astronomers observe the universe, the more they discover confirmations for the big bang. Astronomers have observed a predicted feature of dark energy, namely that it slows down the gravitational collapse of matter. This new observation establishes that astronomers are witnessing the dynamical effect of dark energy throughout all of cosmic history and, thus, significantly strengthens evidence for the big bang creation event.
- Stephen Boughn and Robert Crittenden, “A Correlation Between the Cosmic Microwave Background and Large-Scale Structure in the Universe,” Nature 427 (2004), 45-47.
Related Resource: Predictive Power: Confirming Cosmic Creation, by Hugh Ross
Product Spotlight: Journey Toward Creation, 2nd edition (DVD)