For life to continue the cells of life need to divide. Prokaryote cells divide using a process called binary fission and this is nothing like how eukaryotes divide. In binary fission the single DNA molecule of the prokaryote is copied and each copy binds to opposite sides of the cell membrane. Then the cell which is called the parent cell separates and the original DNA and the DNA copy end up in two different and new cells called the daughter cells. These two daughter cells are identical and contain identical DNA. Since this can be described as simply as copying and separating, what do we know about the origin of binary fission in prokaryotes?
This was discussed in controversy number 16 with the origin of the self replicating cycle. Since the simplest life form is a prokaryote, the first prokaryote would have had to self replicate in the life span of the very first life. There were five steps that would have to happen for this to be true, and each of them is unexplained. The article “How did bacterial ancestors reproduce?” published in Bioessays explained that their research “may provide insights into primitive reproductive mechanisms and contribute to a better understanding of the origin and evolution of mechanisms of cell reproduction”. They really have no idea.
The simplest life form is a prokaryote like bacteria. The mechanisms of how prokaryotes divide and continue life has been studied and studied. We know the steps that are involved to make two identical daughter cells with the same DNA as the one parent cell, but we cannot explain exactly how it happens, and have absolutely no idea how it ever could have started. We know the DNA must be duplicated and the cell must divide to make two cells, and as it divides the two sets of DNA must be in different daughter cells. That overview seems relatively easy to understand. However, it is the details of how it happens that we do not understand, and cannot explain.
There is a saying “the devil is in the details”. Here it really is the devil, Satan himself who does not want you to consider the details of how it happens. This is because realizing that the details of the process of sexual reproduction have not, and cannot be explained by evolution means that God is real and this is truth.
The origin of the process of reproduction of the simplest life form is not known. We are waiting for more “insights” and “a better understanding”, but for now it is just another aspect of evolution that is unexplained.
It is a published fact in peer reviewed scientific journals that the origin of binary fission in prokaryotes is unknown.
Let’s next consider the much more complicated cellular reproduction of eukaryotes, but first we need to be aware this is a necessary condition and:
If there is no origin of binary fission in prokaryotes,
then evolution is logically not possible.
Eukaryote cells of animals and plants have two ways that they can divide. Most of the cells that need to be ‘the same’ after cell division use the process of mitosis. This has the same result as binary fission of prokaryotes in that the two daughter cells after division are identical to the one parent cell before division. This is so that all muscle cells are the same or that all bone cells are the same. All the cells of any one type of tissue must be the same for the tissue to work as an organ. However, the mechanism used by eukaryotes for mitosis to make these identical daughter cells is far more complex, and nothing like, the binary fission process used by prokaryotes.
The cell cycle of life in eukaryote cells includes the stages called G1, S, G2, and mitosis. The part of the cell cycle that is used for cell division is mitosis, and mitosis includes stages called prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase. All of this is just to make a new copy of the DNA, and then there is cytokinesis for the cell to divide into two identical daughter cells, each containing the same DNA.
There is no explanation by evolutionists for the origin or mitosis. There are so many steps involved and there is no explanation of how any of these steps came to be with evolution, much less how they could have evolved to all work together. Some of the problems they are having are related to the fact that eukaryotes have DNA in the nucleus and prokaryotes do not have a nucleus. Since they cannot explain the origin of the nucleus (controversy number 22), they have even worse problems trying to explain mechanisms related to the DNA which is inside the nucleus.
The article, “Deciphering the Evolutionary History of Open and Closed Mitosis” published in the journal Current Biology begins their discussion of this topic with “The origin of the nucleus at the prokaryote-to-eukaryote transition represents one of the most important events in the evolution of cellular organization”. Their research confirms that “the underlying genetic changes that influenced these transitions remain unknown”. They hope their research will be “the starting point from which to determine the physiologically relevant characteristics distinguishing open from closed mitosis and to understand how they evolved”. They feel “The field is now poised to begin addressing these issues by defining and documenting patterns of mitotic nuclear variation within and among species”. They are telling us they are at the beginning and starting point in the process of understanding. This is mere speculation and hope. Evolutionists currently cannot explain it!
Another example of current research attempting to understand individual parts of the process of mitosis is the article, “Evolutionary cell biology of chromosome segregation: insights from trypanosomes” published in the journal Open Biology. During mitosis after the DNA is copied the two sets of DNA are aligned together in the center of the cell. Then they are separated and moved to opposite sides of the cell before the cell divides to make the two daughter cells. These researchers are investigating the machinery that makes the DNA separate into the opposite sides of the cell before it divides. Of course this is only one small part of the entire process of mitosis. Let’s see what is known about just this one step of mitosis.
These scientists conclude “The evolutionary origins of the segregation apparatus also remain enigmatic”. They hope “To gain insights into these questions” that “may also provide hints about the origin and evolution of the segregation apparatus”. One of these parts that are needed for this ‘separation apparatus’ is the cytoskeleton, and this is just one of the seven functions of the amazing cytoskeleton that is constantly being destroyed and remade (controversy number 23).
There are controversies within controversies. There are layers within layers with these controversies. The origin of the cytoskeleton itself is unexplained, and the cytoskeleton is just one of many things that are unexplained for just this one step in mitosis. Not only are evolutionists unable to explain the origin of mitosis in eukaryotes, they cannot even explain the origin of any one step in mitosis!
Evolution cannot be true if there is no origin of mitosis because it is a logical necessary condition for evolution. However, it is a published fact in peer reviewed scientific journals that the origin of mitosis in eukaryotes is unexplained.
We will next consider the immensely more complex process of sexual reproduction, but first we need to be aware of the two problems already discussed with the more simple and general reproduction processes that:
If there is no origin of binary fission in prokaryotes,
then evolution is logically not possible.
and:
If there is no origin of mitosis in eukaryotes, then evolution is logically not possible.
Finally, sexual reproduction:
Binary fission in prokaryotes makes all bacteria the same after reproduction. Similarly, mitosis in eukaryotes makes daughter cells that are identical to the parent cell. This is so all that all of the cells of any one type of tissue are the same, such as all of the muscle cells are the same, all of the liver cells are the same, or all of the bone cells are the same. As we live and age we replace old cells with new cells that are identical. However to reproduce an individual that is a eukaryote, sexual reproduction is needed.
In sexual reproduction daughter cells are made that are not the same as the parent cell. This is what makes individuals unique. This only happens in eukaryotes. So eukaryotes can do mitosis to make identical cells as was discussed above, and can also do the process called meiosis in sexual reproduction.
The process for sexual reproduction is called meiosis, and meiosis is far more complex than mitosis which is far more complex than binary fission. The cell cycle for reproductive cells has phases called G1, S, G2, and then meiosis. In meiosis there are also two phases. In meisosis I there are the stages Prophase I, Metaphase I, Anaphase I, and Telophase I, and all of this results in two daughter cells with each of them containing a full set of DNA. In meisosis II there are the stages Prophase II, Metaphase II, Anaphase II, and Telophase II, and these result in four daughter cells with each of them containing only half of a set of DNA. This is so that when these cells combine with other cells of reproduction from another individual, the two cells, each with a half set of DNA, will make one cell with a full set of DNA. This is indescribably amazing, even within the context of a book attempting to describe amazing events. This is the essence of individual and unique life. It is beyond human comprehension, and certainly beyond evolutionary explanations.
During this process of meiosis there are two separate events called independent assortment and genetic recombination and these are the source of the diversity of life. This is a major difference in eukaryotes that all individuals are unique and is the result of this difference of meiosis. With independent assortment and genetic recombination sperm cells in males and ovum cells in females can combine to make new individuals that are unique. The DNA of the parents have been shuffled and mixed in such a way that no two people are the same.
The human genome project has been completed and found that human DNA contains three billion base pairs. This makes more possible combinations of DNA from two people than there are electrons in the known universe. This incomprehensible number is the result of the mathematics of combinations. Each combination of DNA is a new individual. These combinations happen in all eukaryotes with meiosis, not just in humans. So how does evolution explain the origin of sexual reproduction which is meiosis?
(The next two paragraphs continue the theme that the highest level of scientific evidence confirms that evolutionists cannot explain any of this. There are a lot of ‘big words’ but it is still obvious that they are saying they just don’t know!- and this completes the trifecta explained in the summary below)
The article, “Uniting sex and eukaryote origins in an emerging oxygenic world” published in the journal Biology Direct begins with the statement,” Theories about eukaryote origins (eukaryogenesis) need to provide unified explanations for the emergence of diverse complex features that define this lineage”. They are struggling to explain the origin of sexual reproduction because “Sex (outcrossing with meiosis) is an example of an elaborate trait not yet satisfactorily addressed in theories about eukaryogenesis”.
We find the same inability to explain the origin of meiosis is the article, “Complementation, genetic conflict, and the evolution of sex and recombination” published in The Journal of Heredity. They conclude “The existence of sexual reproduction is difficult to explain because the 2-fold cost of meiosis requires a compensatory 2-fold advantage that is difficult to prove”.
Summary of Sexual Reproduction
Eukaryotes have males and females. All individuals are not alike. The process of sexual reproduction that is involved with meiosis is vastly different from either binary fission or mitosis. This makes individuals that are literally one of a kind. Individuals created through sexual reproduction are completely unique. Since you need a male and female, which would come first? Since you need a male and a female, how can evolution create both at the same time? Since these must have evolved from prokaryotes which are all alike, there must be an explanation of how we now have males and females, unique individuals, sexual reproduction, and the process of meiosis.
In this section we covered reproduction by binary fission in prokaryotes, reproduction by mitosis in eukaryotes, and finally sexual reproduction by meiosis in eukaryotes. None of these forms of reproduction is explained. This leads to three independent conditions. These three together are discussed as only one of the 50 unexplained, yet required conditions of evolution. Each of these 3 conditions, even though they are all related in general to the process of reproduction, are all independent and are different forms of reproduction. They are all unexplained and each of them is a necessary condition for evolution to be true.
1. It is a published fact in peer reviewed scientific journals that the origin of binary fission in prokaryotes is unexplained.
2. It is a published fact in peer reviewed scientific journals that the origin of mitosis in eukaryotes is unexplained.
3. It is a published fact in peer reviewed scientific journals that the origin of sexual meiosis in eukaryotes is unknown.
If any one of them is not true, then evolution is not true.
A trifecta is a run of three wins. Reproduction is considered the trifecta in the evolution and creation controversy:
1. If there is no origin of binary fission in prokaryotes, then evolution is logically not possible.
2. If there is no origin of mitosis in eukaryotes, then evolution is logically not possible.
3. If there is no origin of meiosis in eukaryotes, then evolution is logically not possible.