Growth and protection of somatic cells

Growth and protection: The evolution has equipped the living beings with many survival mechanisms: They can be divided generally in two functional categories: Growth and protection. The growth mechanisms and protective mechanisms are the fundamental behaviour patterns which an organism needs for survival. Every day milliards of cells wear out in the human body and must be renewed. To guarantee this constant cell renovation, the body must raise every day a certain amount of energy. 

The movement to a life-supporting signal characterises a growth reaction, the retreat away from menacing signals points to a protective reaction. These opposite movements are both basic cellular reactions to environmental stimuli. Some environmental stimuli are also neutral - they cause neither a growth nor a protective reaction. Indeed, the mechanisms, that guarantee growth and protection cannot go on well at the same time. Cells cannot move at the same time forward and backward. 

Just as the cells ,humans are also not able to maintain completely their growth impulse if they go over in a protective behaviour. For the survival they need at that moment all their energy for escape and fight. The diversion of energy in favour of the protective reaction always goes at the expenses of the growth. Besides, necessary energy is drawn off not only to the preservation of the organs and tissues. Growth processes also require an open exchange between the organism and the surroundings, for example, food is taken up and waste-products are eliminated. 

Nevertheless, a protective reaction requires to close the system to wall off the organism against the expected danger. Nevertheless, the cut off of growth is also weakening because the growth process uses not only energy, but also it produces. If the protective position maintains for longer time, it restrains the production of the life-receiving energy. The longer you remain in the protective position, the stronger the growth suffers from it. They can prevent your growth processes even so far that you are able really to „fear to death“.

Differently than with protozoons the growth reaction or protective reaction with multicellular organisms is not an "Either and Or" decision and not all our 50 billion cells must go at the same time to a growth reaction or protective reaction. The part of the cells which are involved in a protective reaction depend on the gravity of the perceived danger. Thus you can also survive under stress, but the chronic restriction of the growth mechanisms goes at the expenses of the vitality. It is also important to note that it is more necessary for the full development of your vitality, than to reduce the stress factors in your life. In a growth and protective continuum the removal of the stress factors moves you only into a neutral position. To blossom and to prosper we must not only get rid of the stress factors, we also have to strive actively for a joy-filled, affectionate, fulfilling life which provides growth stimuli for us. 

taken from US bestseller "Intelligent Cells" of the American cell biologist Bruce H. Lipton, Ph. D.