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Jaina Biology
products are absorbed through the vacuole wall into the cytoplasm, where they are assimilated or used for energy".72
176
Some of the two-sensed animals having the sense-organs of taste and touch, e. g. Nupurakas (earth worms) take their food by the process of prakṣepāhārā73 (i. e. through mouth). This Jaina view on the digestive system of earth worm as suggested by the statement of Bṛhat Sangrahani on the process of taking food by the two-sensed animals and others is supported by modern Biology on its digestive system. To quote the same, "it has a complete digestive system with two apertures, mouth, a muscular pharynx, an esophagus, a soft walled crop where food is stored, a hard, muscular gizzard where it is ground up with the aid of small pebbles taken in with the food, along intestine when extracellur digestion and an anus through which undigested wastes pass".
As the higher animals, such as, the five-sensed vertebrate evolved, he digestive system was gradually elaborated and organs76 added, resulting in the complex human mechanism. The digestive system of the fivesensed vertebrate from the fish to man are similar and for all animals from the lowest to the most complex, the chemistry of digestion and the ahara paryaptis involved are much alike, as it is suggested by the process of their taking food, i. e. lomāhāra and prakṣepahara".74
Metabolism and Nutrition :
Food76 is any substance taken into the body that can be used for the release of energy, for the building and repair of tissue. After being taken into the body the molecules of food participate in a variety of chemical activities of the organism called metabolism in modern Biology. The sum of all the chemical activities of ahāraparyāpti77 (vital force by which beings take, digest, absorb, and transform molecules of food particles) into khala (waste products) and rasa (chyle)
72. Biology, p, 310
73.
Pakkhevaharo puno, Kavaliu hoi nayavva //", Bṛhat Sangrahani, 183. "Egomdiyadevaṇam neraiyanam ca natthi pakkhevo/
Sesāņam jivaṇam samsaratthāņa pakkhevo / Bṛhat Samgrahani 185. "Sesaṇam aharo, lome pakkevau ceva", Ibid. 186.
74. Biology, p. 73.
75. Kalyāṇakäraka, 3.4. 5.9. Tandula Veyäliya 16, p. 36; 17, p. 38.
76. 'Lomabara egimdiya ya neraiya suragana ceva / sesaṇam āhāro lome pakkhevau
ceva/!", Brhat Samgrahani 186.
77. Sūtrakṛtānga II. 3. (Abārapada).
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