In 1904 two English scientists, Mr. Bensington and Professor Redwood while experimenting with improving comestibles developed a nutritional additive that appeared to increase the rate of growth in farm animals and would hopefully assist in eliminating world hunger. Initial studies proved so promising they decided to test this substance on newly hatched chickens at their investigative farm. The rate of growth of these chickens astonished even the inventors. The farm unfortunately, suffered from a lack of security, and the new victuals were discovered by rats and wasps resulting in the sudden appearance of super sized and intimidating creatures. While these threats were being addressed, one of the farm workers decided to include the new food in his newborn’s bottle formula. The child’s growth was explosively off the scale, and the world was suddenly forced to adjust to much larger living creatures both animal and human.

Such is the premise of HG Wells’ novel “The Food of the Gods”. Normal growth is assumed to be a natural uninterrupted gradual process from birth. What we do not actually witness prior to birth is more akin to Wells’ fantasy. Each of us begins as a fusion of 2 sex cells: an egg cell (courtesy of mom) and a sperm cell (provided by dad). The result is you. And you begin dividing and multiplying at a seismic rate with nutrients pilfered from mom via your placental attachment. We are arbitrarily composed of different layers: ectoderm, endoderm, and mesoderm all of which specialize into the various components and organs which will make us into the baby that pops out 9 months later into the atmospheric world. This is a phenomenal process that borders on magic. And we continue to grow.

The pituitary gland located at the base of the brain secretes growth hormone which in turn acts in the liver to produce insulin like growth factor. The combination of GH and ILGF now assist in turning on previously dormant genes. A cascade of protein synthesis is triggered. The skeleton grows at the site of epiphyseal cartilage plates located near the end of the bones. Sugar and fat metabolism is ramped up to provide the energy currency necessary for our maturing physique. On a biomolecular level we experience a jumble of interacting polypeptides, sex hormones, thyroid and growth hormone all while various gene sequences are flipped on and off like light switches to direct our developmental traffic.

Nutritional intake is critical to supply not only energy but amino acids for protein synthesis, vitamins, and elements from the periodic table to form structures and allow metabolic processes to proceed. Basically, we need raw materials to construct the body. We tend to think of fat cells as inert, just sitting around (mostly in the wrong places) and doing nothing but expanding our waist lines. That would be incorrect. Adipose cells release over 50 different proteins active in regulation of growth and development. Liver and muscle cells contribute activating proteins-some directed at specific tissue receptors while others are more generalized in their overall effects.

Cytokines are molecules we associate with immune and inflammatory modulation, but they also behave as growth factors. One class of cytokines-the interleukins which are produced by white blood cells-affect the development and activation of bone marrow cells. We have hormones, proteins, and genes specifically devoted to growth and development of various body tissues. In some cases the over expression of genes involved in growth regulation can result in uncontrolled cellular proliferation and the development of cancer.

I could keep going but would simply be adding to increasingly long lists of growth influencers and the point has been made (hopefully). Beginning with conception, human development is amazingly complicated, organized, and extends over multiple organ systems involving turning on and off gene sequences and requiring precision balancing. This is not a simple matter of eating and exercising. If you want to deny a Master Designer, that is okay–you are simply ignoring the evidence. This is a magic act so astonishing that if it were performed on America’s Got Talent, every judge would smash the Golden Ticket buzzer.