How Do We Grow?

So what really happens when we grow up? Human growth happens in three ways, physically, emotionally, and mentally. We also can grow spiritually if we choose to. We all start as a single cell that starts to divide. Soon there are many cells that are basically exactly alike. Then something fantastic happens. The cells begin to differentiate. That’s a big word for they become different. There are signals that are controlled by the genes we have (our DNA) that cause some cells to change into heart cells, nerve cells, skin cells, brain cells, and a whole lot of other kinds. There are even genes called Hox genes that tell the cells where they are supposed to go. Imagine having brain cells in our feet. That just wouldn’t work! Once these different cells are in the right place they continue to divide. Soon there are millions of cells and the tiny human is starting to look like a baby.

Once the baby is born, it begins to eat and grow. Some cells stop dividing. The brain has all of the cells it needs. The bones continue to elongate by adding new cells to an area called the growth plate. Our skin keeps dividing and stretching to keep up. Our heart and other organs grow and mature. There are many hormones and other chemicals that help keep everything growing on schedule. One gland, located at the base of our brains called the pituitary gland is like the head guy. He tells all the other parts of the body when to grow, stop, or do their various functions. The pituitary gland is the one that secretes a hormone called growth hormone. Without it we would stay small. When we reach about 18-20, we may stop growing taller, but that doesn’t mean we are finished growing. Our brain’s keep developing. The cartilage in our nose and ears never really stops growing. If we get injured the body repairs itself by growing new cells.
We also grow emotionally. We learn how to relate to other people and solve problems. We can learn from our parents, our friends, and especially from reading the Bible. The more we experience and see how others adjust to situations, the more mature emotionally we can become. It may take some time and you will have to be patient.

We grow mentally by learning new things. We go to school. We learn skills from our parents and other relatives. One way we can grow mentally is to read. Books can teach us many things about nature, the world, and even ourselves. The greatest book is the Bible. It can help us grow physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. If we do all four we can become the person God intended us to be and be able to do all the good things he wants us to accomplish.

There’s a whole lot more to growing up that you will learn along the way, but I hope this helps!

Till next time!

Love Papaw.