Italian version

Sometimes we find ourselves wondering about a person’s true nature. In such cases, we analyze an individual’s behavioral traits, personality, beliefs, thoughts, and attitudes. Or we might consider their physical nature, focusing on their structure and physiological characteristics. Or, still, we might discuss their social status.

In this article, I would like to focus instead on our biological nature, which we share with all other living beings. Every human being is a community of approximately 50,000 billion cells that work together to sustain individual life. Wherever there is a community working toward a common purpose, we can reflect on its economy. Here is the definition of “economy” from the Treccani dictionary¹ (translated from Italian):

The rational use of money and any limited resource, aimed at obtaining the maximum benefit given a fixed allocation of resources.

What are the principles underlying the economy of the human body? I will mention a few general ones:

• The well-being of the organism is the goal of all cells. The organism must have the energy necessary for the proper functioning of its various systems.
• Every cell, without exception, must have the resources available to perform its job.
• Each cell uses its resources for its assigned purpose and does not accumulate any excess resources.

In the book *Spontaneous Evolution*, biologist Bruce Lipton presents some details about the economy of the human body, explaining the mechanisms of energy generation and exchange at the cellular level. Here is an excerpt²:

The effectiveness of the cellular economy has stood the test of time, as it has sustained the survival of the human body for millions of years. Furthermore, the body’s economy has proven to be durable and flexible enough to support human adaptation to the widest range of environmental challenges. … Cellular economics is simply the study of how living systems distribute and utilize energy in order to function and produce. Although the units of exchange may vary from dollars to donuts, all economies are based on an exchange of work, which, of course, is equivalent to energy.

The energy source for our cells is the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) molecule, a molecule of adenosine bound to three phosphate groups. ATP molecules are generated primarily through the breakdown of food. The cell derives energy from the ATP molecule by releasing one of the phosphate groups, thereby converting it into ADP (adenosine diphosphate). When necessary, the cell can choose to reconvert ADP back into ATP, devoting part of its energy to replenishing its available energy reserve.

This, in a nutshell, is the energy balance of a single cell. But how does the distribution and exchange of energy between cells take place? How is any excess energy managed? Lipton explains this mechanism at a high level through an effective analogy with money³. If we think of ATP molecules as coins or bills, these are the rules of the economic system:

• Each cell is compensated for its work with an amount of money/ATP proportional to its energy expenditure.
• Each cell stores any excess ATP in its cytoplasm.
• Money/ATP reserves are managed centrally and are available to the entire community.
• Every cell is guaranteed the money/ATP necessary for its survival.
• From the perspective of money/ATP, the human body is a closed system. If the demand for money/energy exceeds what is available, there is no possibility of taking out a loan.

I agree with Lipton when he states that this economic system is wonderfully efficient, effective, and—to use a term that has become fashionable in recent years—extremely resilient. It is important to emphasize that the well-being of our body depends on energy being distributed equally among all cells.

Our biology offers us various models that we could emulate and adapt to our reality as “evolved beings.” In my previous articles, The book “Spontaneous evolution” by Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman and Are we sure that peace is pure utopia?, I shared further reflections on how our biology provides principles to replicate in our societies.

You can send your comment to info@esperienzedivalore.it, I will be happy to respond.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

1. https://www.treccani.it/vocabolario/economia_res-d1a52164-dfef-11eb-94e0-00271042e8d9 ↩︎ ↩︎
2. “Evoluzione spontanea”, Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman, Macro Edizioni 2010, pag. 379  ↩︎
3. “Evoluzione spontanea”, Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman, Macro Edizioni 2010, pag. 330-332  ↩︎