LESSON 8 - SWEET AND SOUR
New year, new you?
Let us be realistic that to make an effective change takes gradual progression. We all have faced real-life situations that were either sweet, sour or a combination of both that adds to our memories and builds up with experience. This can be through a job, education, society and other scenarios. A common theme is a rejection.
The two places where one does not feel rejected is in the coordinates of where one’s parents are located and; the second place is when one prostrates on the floor to the Almighty - Feet to feet, shoulder to shoulder on a straight line.
However, what you choose to do with the experience can go positively or negatively and is dependent on whether you see it as a blessing or a blessing as a disguise - a learning experience through reflection.
Let it affect you? Negative.
You cannot forget it but you can learn from it? Wise decision - as life experience is a teacher. One of the missions is to find one’s gift and be able to give it away sweetly because you can learn the lesson from yesterday and can apply the lesson in the future if He wills.
The continuous error that faces society today is that we look outwardly and point fingers rather than being accountable. Amongst the creation of Allah (The Most High), is the human body that is a teacher in how we respond to different situations to understand the principles of balance, discipline and feedback.
The sweet and sour connotation can be determined through reflecting on the anatomy (what it looks like) and physiology (how it works) of the stomach, pancreas, liver and gall bladder. Homeostasis is how the human body maintains physiological factors such as glucose (sugar) where a setpoint is required.
The stomach makes the acid, the liver make a chemical called bile to neutralise the food coming from the stomach, the pancreas makes specific proteins called enzymes that digest the food (knowledge) in the small intestines. The pancreas can also make chemicals called hormones that regulate the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood to avoid it going high or low.
Complex, isn’t it?
To be able to understand the beauty and gratefulness of simplicity, you will need to be able to endure the patience and unpuzzle the complexity, because if you see things in just simple objects, it is like a water wave that flows not in a fixed position or transient manner.
The true taste of happiness is to be thankful for the little things in life. There is a quote that I came across by Shauna Nieguist that state:
‘When life is sweet say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter say thank you and grow’.
Growth is inevitable and is a sense of proportion and balance.
The acidity of the stomach.
When we think of acid, we tend to think of negative connotations. However, the acid has many positive aspects because it mixes and dissolves the particulate matter of the food (bolus) that arrives in the stomach via the food pipe (oesophagus). Another advantage of the acid is to kill bacteria in the food.
The stomach is a sac-like shaped organ where the top area is called the fundus and; the lower area is called the antrum. The stomach contains smooth muscle that aids in the movement of the food there before it undergoes further digestion in the first segment of the small intestine called the duodenum via the pyloric sphincter.
The pyloric sphincter is a doorway containing smooth muscle and connective tissue. The movement of the stomach involves a ripple toward the antrum where there are nerves (short and long reflexes) by mechanoreceptors.
Hydrochloric acid is made in the parietal cells that align the stomach (mucosa). Cells are the smallest unit of a living organism. Following the churning of the food, it forms a chyme containing pieces of sugar molecules (polysaccharides), protein, fats, salt and water. It is estimated that 2 litres of acid are produced per day.
Hydrogen ions is the product formed from the reaction between carbon dioxide and water; via the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. Enzymes are proteins that catalyse/speed up reactions that can either make products or break products. Hydrogen ions utilise active transporters such as H+/K+ ATPases in the luminal border (membrane) of the parietal cells into the lumen. The levels of hydrogen ions are regulated by four chemicals: somatostatin, histamine, gastrin and acetylcholine. Somatostatin and histamine are made in the enterochromaffin cells of the stomach. Gastrin is made in the enteroendocrine cells and acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter chemical.
The parietal cells have receptor proteins on their membrane for gastrin, histamine and acetylcholine - their role is to increase acid secretion. Somatostatin inhibits acid secretion by inhibiting the release of gastrin and histamine as part of negative feedback to control levels of the acid back to the setpoint. There is an exchange between the potassium and chloride ions (they enter cells) and the bicarbonate ions (they leave the cells) to maintain the pH in the parietal cells. However, too much acid produced can cause acid reflux where scarring, ulcers and pressure in the stomach cause acid to go back into the oesophagus via the lower oesophageal sphincter.
This is where one needs to control the impact of any form of an issue and neutralise it. Factors that can increase acid secretion is fear, anxiousness, stress and other forms of fight or flight responses initiated by parasympathetic nerves that impact the enteric nerves in the stomach.
Other functions of the stomach are to secrete specific enzymes called pepsin from its original precursor protein called pepsinogen that break down (digest) into proteins. The enzymes are made in the chief cells. The enteroendocrine cells secrete gastrin that activates pepsinogen to form pepsin.
However, not all enzymes can work under acidic conditions, so what can be done?
Let’s see what the pancreas does.
Let us be realistic that to make an effective change takes gradual progression. We all have faced real-life situations that were either sweet, sour or a combination of both that adds to our memories and builds up with experience. This can be through a job, education, society and other scenarios. A common theme is a rejection.
The two places where one does not feel rejected is in the coordinates of where one’s parents are located and; the second place is when one prostrates on the floor to the Almighty - Feet to feet, shoulder to shoulder on a straight line.
However, what you choose to do with the experience can go positively or negatively and is dependent on whether you see it as a blessing or a blessing as a disguise - a learning experience through reflection.
Let it affect you? Negative.
You cannot forget it but you can learn from it? Wise decision - as life experience is a teacher. One of the missions is to find one’s gift and be able to give it away sweetly because you can learn the lesson from yesterday and can apply the lesson in the future if He wills.
The continuous error that faces society today is that we look outwardly and point fingers rather than being accountable. Amongst the creation of Allah (The Most High), is the human body that is a teacher in how we respond to different situations to understand the principles of balance, discipline and feedback.
The sweet and sour connotation can be determined through reflecting on the anatomy (what it looks like) and physiology (how it works) of the stomach, pancreas, liver and gall bladder. Homeostasis is how the human body maintains physiological factors such as glucose (sugar) where a setpoint is required.
The stomach makes the acid, the liver make a chemical called bile to neutralise the food coming from the stomach, the pancreas makes specific proteins called enzymes that digest the food (knowledge) in the small intestines. The pancreas can also make chemicals called hormones that regulate the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood to avoid it going high or low.
Complex, isn’t it?
To be able to understand the beauty and gratefulness of simplicity, you will need to be able to endure the patience and unpuzzle the complexity, because if you see things in just simple objects, it is like a water wave that flows not in a fixed position or transient manner.
The true taste of happiness is to be thankful for the little things in life. There is a quote that I came across by Shauna Nieguist that state:
‘When life is sweet say thank you and celebrate. And when life is bitter say thank you and grow’.
Growth is inevitable and is a sense of proportion and balance.
The acidity of the stomach.
When we think of acid, we tend to think of negative connotations. However, the acid has many positive aspects because it mixes and dissolves the particulate matter of the food (bolus) that arrives in the stomach via the food pipe (oesophagus). Another advantage of the acid is to kill bacteria in the food.
The stomach is a sac-like shaped organ where the top area is called the fundus and; the lower area is called the antrum. The stomach contains smooth muscle that aids in the movement of the food there before it undergoes further digestion in the first segment of the small intestine called the duodenum via the pyloric sphincter.
The pyloric sphincter is a doorway containing smooth muscle and connective tissue. The movement of the stomach involves a ripple toward the antrum where there are nerves (short and long reflexes) by mechanoreceptors.
Hydrochloric acid is made in the parietal cells that align the stomach (mucosa). Cells are the smallest unit of a living organism. Following the churning of the food, it forms a chyme containing pieces of sugar molecules (polysaccharides), protein, fats, salt and water. It is estimated that 2 litres of acid are produced per day.
Hydrogen ions is the product formed from the reaction between carbon dioxide and water; via the enzyme carbonic anhydrase. Enzymes are proteins that catalyse/speed up reactions that can either make products or break products. Hydrogen ions utilise active transporters such as H+/K+ ATPases in the luminal border (membrane) of the parietal cells into the lumen. The levels of hydrogen ions are regulated by four chemicals: somatostatin, histamine, gastrin and acetylcholine. Somatostatin and histamine are made in the enterochromaffin cells of the stomach. Gastrin is made in the enteroendocrine cells and acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter chemical.
The parietal cells have receptor proteins on their membrane for gastrin, histamine and acetylcholine - their role is to increase acid secretion. Somatostatin inhibits acid secretion by inhibiting the release of gastrin and histamine as part of negative feedback to control levels of the acid back to the setpoint. There is an exchange between the potassium and chloride ions (they enter cells) and the bicarbonate ions (they leave the cells) to maintain the pH in the parietal cells. However, too much acid produced can cause acid reflux where scarring, ulcers and pressure in the stomach cause acid to go back into the oesophagus via the lower oesophageal sphincter.
This is where one needs to control the impact of any form of an issue and neutralise it. Factors that can increase acid secretion is fear, anxiousness, stress and other forms of fight or flight responses initiated by parasympathetic nerves that impact the enteric nerves in the stomach.
Other functions of the stomach are to secrete specific enzymes called pepsin from its original precursor protein called pepsinogen that break down (digest) into proteins. The enzymes are made in the chief cells. The enteroendocrine cells secrete gastrin that activates pepsinogen to form pepsin.
However, not all enzymes can work under acidic conditions, so what can be done?
Let’s see what the pancreas does.
Neutrality
The elongated-shaped organ, pancreas, and the bilobed organ, liver are secretory organs that neutralise the acid food (chyme) coming from the stomach. They secrete bicarbonate ions, an alkaline released into the duodenum (the first segment of the small intestine).
Why?
Not all enzymes can handle the acidity in which pepsin can, therefore the enzymes in the small intestines that are secreted and released from the pancreas become inactivated, change their shape and won’t work to digest the food. This is known as denaturation.
This shows the variation of character from one to another, the more patient you are in a situation, the more you are of pepsin.
In chemistry, we are taught acid and base make salt and water.
The salt state strengthens the protein nature of the enzymes to avoid denaturation. One of the enzymes produced in the acinar cells of the pancreas is the inactive precursor called trypsinogen whereupon activation is converted to trypsin. Trypsin activates other enzymes such as chymotrypsin where they both break down large peptides to form small peptides.
The enzyme amylase breaks down large sugar molecules into glucose. Lipase breaks down fats to form fatty acids and glycerol. Proteases such as carboxypeptidases break down small peptides into amino acids. Overall, the small molecules: glucose, fatty acids, glycerol and amino acids can be absorbed by the villi.
Therefore, it is important that when it comes to a situation, we need to add the water, not the fire, nor spread the oil around the saucepan unnecessarily making a problem larger than it is. The ability to overlook errors is a common reason why fallouts and misunderstanding occurs. The number of enzymes also needs control and is regulated by cholecystokinin; a chemical produced in the small intestine.
Why?
Not all enzymes can handle the acidity in which pepsin can, therefore the enzymes in the small intestines that are secreted and released from the pancreas become inactivated, change their shape and won’t work to digest the food. This is known as denaturation.
This shows the variation of character from one to another, the more patient you are in a situation, the more you are of pepsin.
In chemistry, we are taught acid and base make salt and water.
The salt state strengthens the protein nature of the enzymes to avoid denaturation. One of the enzymes produced in the acinar cells of the pancreas is the inactive precursor called trypsinogen whereupon activation is converted to trypsin. Trypsin activates other enzymes such as chymotrypsin where they both break down large peptides to form small peptides.
The enzyme amylase breaks down large sugar molecules into glucose. Lipase breaks down fats to form fatty acids and glycerol. Proteases such as carboxypeptidases break down small peptides into amino acids. Overall, the small molecules: glucose, fatty acids, glycerol and amino acids can be absorbed by the villi.
Therefore, it is important that when it comes to a situation, we need to add the water, not the fire, nor spread the oil around the saucepan unnecessarily making a problem larger than it is. The ability to overlook errors is a common reason why fallouts and misunderstanding occurs. The number of enzymes also needs control and is regulated by cholecystokinin; a chemical produced in the small intestine.
The sweetness controlled by the pancreas
Oversweetness is not good, no sweetness is too bold, a good proportion of sweetness is good to balance the passion.
The liver and pancreas also co-work together to control the levels of sugar (glucose). Glucose provides energy for various chemical reactions in the body cells and makes proteins. The normal levels are between 70 – 115 mg/dL and; any excess glucose is stored in the muscle and liver cells to an insoluble storage form of glucose called glycogen.
In the pancreas, there are several types of cells found in the islets of Langerhans; structures in the pancreas. The alpha cells make a protein hormone called glucagon which is released when there are low levels of glucose in the blood (hypoglycaemia). This is achieved by stimulating the breakdown of glycogen (glycogenolysis) and the production of glucose (gluconeogenesis). The levels of stress also increase the glucose levels by stimulating the secretion of the hormone cortisol in the kidneys.
When glycogen is broken down in the liver, glucose-6-phosphate is formed and is converted into glucose and enters the blood. In the muscle cells, the enzyme needed to make glucose-6-phosphate is not made and; therefore, it is converted indirectly into glucose by making lactate, ATP and other pigments. The lipids and proteins are metabolised to produce glucose.
However, when there are high levels of glucose in the blood, the beta cells make a protein hormone called insulin which increases glucose uptake in cells and the net synthesis of triglycerides in the fat (adipose) tissue. The glucose levels can then return to the normal levels or set point.
When there are uncontrollable levels of glucose in the blood, it can lead to diabetes mellitus wherein type 1 insulin-independent diabetes, there is a lack of production of insulin. It requires insulin injections to sustain levels. In type 2 diabetes where it is non-insulin independent, beta cells produce insulin - the target cells e.g., the liver and muscle cells do not respond.
Insulin and glucagon levels need to be controlled by somatostatin produced by D cells of the pancreas. In real-life situations, oversweetness can cause hurt when there are expectations. The cure or the insulin injection is to renew the intention of who and why you are doing it. This lowers the levels of acidity and sweetness to give a better taste of the action.
The liver and pancreas also co-work together to control the levels of sugar (glucose). Glucose provides energy for various chemical reactions in the body cells and makes proteins. The normal levels are between 70 – 115 mg/dL and; any excess glucose is stored in the muscle and liver cells to an insoluble storage form of glucose called glycogen.
In the pancreas, there are several types of cells found in the islets of Langerhans; structures in the pancreas. The alpha cells make a protein hormone called glucagon which is released when there are low levels of glucose in the blood (hypoglycaemia). This is achieved by stimulating the breakdown of glycogen (glycogenolysis) and the production of glucose (gluconeogenesis). The levels of stress also increase the glucose levels by stimulating the secretion of the hormone cortisol in the kidneys.
When glycogen is broken down in the liver, glucose-6-phosphate is formed and is converted into glucose and enters the blood. In the muscle cells, the enzyme needed to make glucose-6-phosphate is not made and; therefore, it is converted indirectly into glucose by making lactate, ATP and other pigments. The lipids and proteins are metabolised to produce glucose.
However, when there are high levels of glucose in the blood, the beta cells make a protein hormone called insulin which increases glucose uptake in cells and the net synthesis of triglycerides in the fat (adipose) tissue. The glucose levels can then return to the normal levels or set point.
When there are uncontrollable levels of glucose in the blood, it can lead to diabetes mellitus wherein type 1 insulin-independent diabetes, there is a lack of production of insulin. It requires insulin injections to sustain levels. In type 2 diabetes where it is non-insulin independent, beta cells produce insulin - the target cells e.g., the liver and muscle cells do not respond.
Insulin and glucagon levels need to be controlled by somatostatin produced by D cells of the pancreas. In real-life situations, oversweetness can cause hurt when there are expectations. The cure or the insulin injection is to renew the intention of who and why you are doing it. This lowers the levels of acidity and sweetness to give a better taste of the action.
Not all digestion requires enzymes
The liver has numerous roles but in the relevance of the topic, besides storing glucose as glycogen, it produces bile that breaks down (emulsify) large fat droplets into smaller fat droplets in a non-enzymatic way.
The bile is made in small ducts called bile canaliculi that join to form the common hepatic duct. It is stored in the gall bladder and; when it contracts, the gall bladder is ejected into the duodenum via the biliary duct via a small door made of the smooth muscle called the sphincter of Oddi.
The bile contains bicarbonate ions, cholesterol, phospholipids (e.g., lecithin), bile pigments, trace metals and metabolic end-products that neutralise the acid in the chyme. One of the bile pigments is bilirubin made from haem, an iron component in red blood cells. The red blood cells when damaged are digested by the spleen and liver. Bilirubin is yellow and makes the faeces turn brown.
For example, after eating the meal, most of the bile is absorbed by the sodium-coupled transporter in the ileum (the longest segment of the small intestine) and; the absorbed bile salts return to the liver cells for recycling via the portal vein into bile. Cholecystokinin also plays a role in this (chole – bile, cysto – bladder, kinin – to move).
Therefore, too much of anything is not good, neither sweet nor sour, the past cannot change, and; to move forward is to seek happiness within and in every situation even if it requires a magnifying glass to look closer because positive thoughts create positive things.
Seek forgiveness and being forgiving aids in the process and; the latter is the hardest challenge, with time, you will realise that the positivity of a person or situation outweighs the negative traits of a person or aspects of a situation - Allah alone is perfect and Oft-Forgiving.
So, when we go to a shop, we are hesitant or unlikely to buy a fruit or vegetable that is rotten, similarly, one needs to think if we want a place in Paradise, we need to ensure our hearts is healed in His Remembrance rather than scarred and rotten.
The bile is made in small ducts called bile canaliculi that join to form the common hepatic duct. It is stored in the gall bladder and; when it contracts, the gall bladder is ejected into the duodenum via the biliary duct via a small door made of the smooth muscle called the sphincter of Oddi.
The bile contains bicarbonate ions, cholesterol, phospholipids (e.g., lecithin), bile pigments, trace metals and metabolic end-products that neutralise the acid in the chyme. One of the bile pigments is bilirubin made from haem, an iron component in red blood cells. The red blood cells when damaged are digested by the spleen and liver. Bilirubin is yellow and makes the faeces turn brown.
For example, after eating the meal, most of the bile is absorbed by the sodium-coupled transporter in the ileum (the longest segment of the small intestine) and; the absorbed bile salts return to the liver cells for recycling via the portal vein into bile. Cholecystokinin also plays a role in this (chole – bile, cysto – bladder, kinin – to move).
Therefore, too much of anything is not good, neither sweet nor sour, the past cannot change, and; to move forward is to seek happiness within and in every situation even if it requires a magnifying glass to look closer because positive thoughts create positive things.
Seek forgiveness and being forgiving aids in the process and; the latter is the hardest challenge, with time, you will realise that the positivity of a person or situation outweighs the negative traits of a person or aspects of a situation - Allah alone is perfect and Oft-Forgiving.
So, when we go to a shop, we are hesitant or unlikely to buy a fruit or vegetable that is rotten, similarly, one needs to think if we want a place in Paradise, we need to ensure our hearts is healed in His Remembrance rather than scarred and rotten.
