The Lives Of A Cell By Lewis Thomas

The Lives Of A Cell By Lewis Thomas (pg. 358)

As much as humans try to distance themselves from nature and Earth, it is incredibly hard to since both mankind and nature are so similar.  Humans are full of miniscule ecosystems that hold their own even smaller villages too.  Man tries to differentiate itself from Earth by becoming a single entity, acting as though they are their own and in charge of their own body.  Yet just like Earth, man is filled with small organisms with a mind of their own.  All doing their own job and taking care of their body and man’s.  It is impossible to say that man is different than nature when both have mitochondria and nuclei that run cell systems.  The essay then dives into the fact that with changing technology, the earth changes too.  Lewis Thomas, who attended Princeton University and Harvard Medical School has his essay conclude with the opinion that even though the Earth may seem like one giant organism, it is “most like a single cell” (Thomas 360).  Thomas’s essay written in 1971 starts to mention that man distances himself from nature, this comes from a time when new technology is constantly being created and the human nature is becoming more bionic, than natural.  He is trying to show that although human may seem strong and an incredible race, we have the same things inside of us as the grass under out feet.  Everything in our existence is interconnected through microscopic systems full of even more life.  This message reaches to both old and new generation.  Old can see the way technology has allowed us to see our connections in nature and the new can be humbled into seeing the way our lives weave into others.  Thomas proves his point with a large dose of logos.  He slams biology terms in our brains yet still gives the reader a clear understanding of how all life is connected.  His wording gives the piece a serious tone and his last sentence ties together everything mentioned throughout the essay.