The Clock in Our Bodies
That Never Goes Wrong
As everyone is well aware, during adolescence—the transitional stage between childhood and adulthood—the body undergoes a large number of changes, many simultaneously. But what mechanism so accurately regulates the timing of and initiates these changes inside the bodies of billions of people? It is as if there were an alarm clock in the human body, and when the clock rings, certain hormones are awakened and go into action.
There is no clock in the body, of course. But as we shall be seeing shortly in some detail, certain cells in the hypothalamus region of the brain go into action after a delay of some 12 to 13 years, just as if they had heard an alarm clock going off. At a specific age, cells in the hypothalamus begin secreting a hormone known as GnRH. This hormone issues a command to the pituitary gland to begin producing two hormones known as the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH).
These two hormones have very important duties and miraculous abilities. Both initiate the process of diversification and maturation in both the male and female bodies—.a very important detail, because FSH and LH have each been designed to be compatible with the separate regions of the anatomy in which these respective changes are brought about. Both hormones also act as if they were well aware what they have to do.
In the female body, FSH ensures the maturation and development of egg cells in the ovaries. Another of its duties is to ensure that the ovaries begin to secrete increased quantities of another very important hormone, estrogen.
The hormone FSH is also secreted in the male body, according to the same formula. There, however, it has entirely different effects, stimulating the growth of the testes and initiating sperm production.
In the female body, the task of LH is to ensure the release of the maturing egg. In addition, it ensures the secretion of another female hormone, progesterone.
Thanks to the invisible clock in the hypothalamus region of the brain, the hypothalamus realizes when an individual has reached adolescence.
In the male body, of course, LH does a different job. It stimulates the so-called Leydig cells in the testes, which in turn ensures the secretion of the hormone testosterone.
It is of course a great marvel that these same hormones should be produced according to the same formula, and yet have entirely different effects in the bodies of each gender. How do the hormones "know" the difference between the male and the female body? How is it that a hormone with the same formula stimulates different organs—and ensures the production of testosterone in males and of progesterone in females?
How do hormones produced according to the same formula recognize the masculine body and develop a deep voice and heavier musculature appropriate to that body, while producing characteristic changes and chemistry in the female body? How was this perfect genetic program that causes different effects and the formation of two different genders by way of the same hormone installed within the cell (Figure 55)?
All these phenomena are clearly independent of coincidence, the cell, or the atoms that constitute the cell. These arrangements—in forms specifically and individually tailored to men and women, reveal the existence of intelligent creation and in-depth planning. There can be no doubt that this creation belongs to God, the flawless Creator of the universe and all things within it.
Everyone who reflects on the perfection in creation must give thanks by calling on our Lord, Who created us from nothing:
O Humanity! Worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that hopefully you will guard against evil. (Surat al-Baqara, 21)
Praise be to God, the Bringer into Being of the heavens and earth, He Who made the angels messengers, with wings—–two, three or four. He adds to creation in any way He wills. God has power over all things. (Surah Fatir, 1)
The hormones FSH and LH begin the process of differentiating and maturing the male and female body, at just the right time.