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John Clayton
The mouth is one of the more dangerous places in the human body
in terms of what comes out, what goes in, and what lives there.
Fungi, micro-organisms, and viruses constantly come in with every
bite of food and frequently just from breathing. In spite of
all that, the tongue rarely gets infected, and when it does, it
is usually quick to heal.
The reason is that the tongue secretes a peptide that acts as
an antibiotic. This antibiotic called "lingual antimicrobial
peptide" is secreted from the lining of the tongue which
is about as thick as aluminum foil. Studies done at the Magainin
Research Institute show that if the tongue has a sore, more of
the antibiotic is secreted.
It is easy when we are ill to complain about what is making us
feel bad, but our bodies are designed to survive in a world that
has all kinds of things that could do us harm. Life is fragile,
but as David said, "I will praise thee, Lord, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made and that my soul knoweth right well"
(Psalm 139:14).
This article taken from: Does God Exist?, Jan/Feb 1997
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