Borders and Boundaries
by Mae Pope
In the world of a kitchen garden, there are many borders and boundaries. Some are spoken and others unspoken. Some could be categorized into the realm of simple fantasy (such as the desire to somehow blockade all slugs from your favorite patch of kale). Others, more practical, consist of rows between two different varieties of herbs. Within this paper we will focus on the physical boundaries erected by humans in an attempt to define, protect and encourage health within a garden. Through this exploration of man made boundaries, we will illuminate the connection and relationship that these barriers have to the membrane of the cell.
Along with preparing the soil, one of the first steps in keeping a healthy family or community garden is to build a fence bordering this land allotted for the specific purpose of growing food. A fence to keep out deer or other non-domesticated animals. A fence to use as a trellis for beans and legumes. A fence to let you in during the first rays of morning light to pick raspberries. A fence to keep the chickens from scratching freshly sown seeds.
The membrane of a cell is the component that defines the cell from its environment. It is that which gives the cell stability and meaning. When a person or group chooses to erect a fence, they too are defining a space. A communication to the rest of the world that the land held behind that barrier has been designated for a specific purpose. One of the greatest assets of a cell membrane is the mere fact it creates an enclosed area where the chemical reactions necessary for life occur more efficiently. This is true for a garden as well where the proximity of fruits and vegetables contained within an enclosed area helps facilitate human efficiency in harvesting, weeding and sowing. Maintaining these fore mentioned fruits and vegetables in a defined space also helps in the process of pollination. In order to keep the cell in good health, the membrane must function as a kind of discerning gateway. To accomplish this task, the membrane requires selective permeability. Molecules which are small and nonpolar are allowed to swiftly move across the membrane, while other charged or polar substances (except for water) are given protracted to no access. Much like the membrane functions to protect the cell, a good fence will protect a thriving garden from that which may potentially harm its fruits, vegetables and leaves.
Using its latch as a regulator, a fence keeps the non-human animals from eating its bounty (hopefully) while allowing you to come pull weeds. In the universe of the cell, it must discern between beneficial and toxic molecules. Similarly, a garden enclosure must be firm enough to keep out the undesirables. Yet, it must also be equipped to let the right creatures in that will help its space to prosper, such as earth worms, lady bugs and humans with watering hose. It is with this notion of a gentle barrier that homeostasis is striven for. An example can be found within the concept of tonicity. If the cell is in a hypertonic solution, it will allow too much water within its internal environment becoming saturated to the point that it will burst. Yet, if within a hypotonic solution, it allows too much water to be moved to the external environment. This too will lead to destruction in the form of a shrunken and shriveled cell. Ultimately, the goal is to find a balance between what is allowed within the barrier and what it kept outside. It is through this discernment that optimal health can be acquired. A concept which can be applied to the system of a cell and many systems beyond.