Lewis Thomas was a physician and essayist who studied at Princeton University and Harvard Medical School. In The Lives of Cell he compares the earth to a single biological cell and describes humans as being part of that cell. In light of the belief that Man is trying to detach himself from a fragile Earth, Thomas wants modern-day humans, that understand the basic components of biological cells, to understand that they are not overseers of the Earth, but rather smaller parts of a complex system with the Earth. Thompson achieves his purpose through the use of a metaphor, an allegory, and personification. To contradict the common belief that Man has power over the Earth, Thomas writes, “... [the earth] is the toughest membrane … we are the delicate part, transient and vulnerable as cilia.” Comparing people to cilia on the outside of a cell membrane gives the reader an image of how insignificant and powerless people are in relation to the Earth. Also, this metaphor exhibits the mutual dependence of people and the Earth for cilia cannot function independently of the cell, and on the cell, they serve a specific purpose for it. Additionally, Thomas shares the story of how the modern-day mitochondria became a part of the eukaryotic cell. He described the mitochondrion, the organelles that makes energy, as “separate creatures” that have “maintained themselves” and possess their “own special genome.” This allegory presents the idea that people are not in total control of themselves and that there are smaller forces that control us; which magnifies our insignificance as individuals. After Thomas describes the mitochondrion, he questions what else governs his body. He wonders that “perhaps it is they who walk through the local park in the early morning, sensing my senses, listening to my music, thinking my thoughts.” The personification of the components of our cells emphasizes the idea that people are not in control of themselves and that their is another force carrying out actions for us.
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