The Universe.
The Earth.
Evolution,
which will lead to Man.
Man.
Well, almost.
Ah yes! Man.
And Woman.
Ah yes! Woman.
A couple.
Hundreds of millions of spermatozoa set out for an assault.
It's a fantastic obstacle course.
Only 1% will succeed
in breaking the barrier of the neck of the uterus.
Most of the survivors
will die afterwards in the cavity of the womb.
Or will be captured in the traps of the fallopian tubes.
Very few will succeed in getting near the egg cell.
Yoohoo!
The egg cell.
Of the hundreds of millions
Only one is admitted to the sanctuary.
and the secret entrance fades and disappears...
Look who's arrived!
Our complementary chromosomes.
Do you think we're going to match?
You always ask idiotic questions! Don't you, colleague?
They're not bad!
Not bad.
Look!
Allez! Everyone dance!
Now, it all can begin.
The first day of fertilisation.
Second day.
Third day.
Fourth day.
The divisions of the fertilised egg become innumerable.
The neck of the womb will close again,
preserving the implanted egg as it attaches itself to the womb.
Twenty eighth day.
It's already an embryo surrounded by the chorion.
Command centre of the cell here, I'm listening.
You need supplementary cells?
For the heart, the skin and the skeleton?
Ohh! You're not serious!!
I can't do everything myself!
Here everyone has their own speciality.
You should know that!
Hello, chromosome central.
We have an order from the cells.
Come on, operation mytosis.
Go on! Do it!
You in there, get to work!
Go go! I'm talking to you, chromosomes.
Let's see how this chromosome is made.
Just like the others, no?
Ah, you think so?
Well, look closer!
Hey! You can come now!
Let's go!
Pfff! Bunch of snobs!
-This place is mine! -No, it's mine!
Ohh! What a rude character!
Come on! Get in place!
Over there!
That's enough! We haven't got time for tomfoolery!
I don't want this one!
Control this chain, I'll control the other.
Well, what have you learnt in school?
Do you want to cause a genetic accident?
Hurry up you latecomers!
It's almost time.
Are you ready for cell division?
Mytosis!
Operation Mytosis successfully accomplished.
Voilą!
Eye cells.
Go to platform 47.
Muscle cells platform 10.
Bone cells, platform 17.
Heart cells, platform 22.
Come on cells, order please!
There's 200 of you.
Without a little discipline we'll never arrive!
You there! Instead of wasting time, get to your platform!
Liver cells, platform 8.
Muscle cells, platform 10.
Skin cells, platform 14.
Calm, move along!
Don't push!
Heart cells platform 10.
A bit of order, if you please!
Bone cells, platform 17.
Liver cells, platform 8.
Muscle cells, platform 10.
35th day, the foetus is 6 mm.
42nd day, 12 mm.
50th day, 20 mm.
Heart cells!
Here!
You are late.
Speed up towards platform 19.
Hey you there! Pay attention!
Your platform is the, following one.
Sorry!
Bone cells, platform 17.
Hey you! Where are you going?
To the shoulder blade.
There's still a lot to be done there.
And you?
Further west, to the humerus.
There's virgin land there to conquer.
What's happening?
I don't know, it's at the front.
What are we doing here?
I would love to know that!
All this way for nothing.
We're not going to let this go.
No way!
But who are we doing this for?
Hello friends, follow us!
Further west towards the forearm there is
an immense territory to conquer.
Lots to do there! Follow us! Forward!
Eye cells, you are needed urgently!
Urgently, platform 4!
Stop pushing!
Lets us pass.
Come on! It's impossible!
Unless you fly!
You tell me, I'm an eye cell
not a wing cell!
Eye cells.
We're sending a detachment of engineers to open the way.
Follow us!
Unit ready, forward!
We have arrived.
Units for the cornea to the left.
For the retina, to the right.
Goodbye, it was a nice trip.
Cristaline lens cells, follow me!
Further, further, further.
Stop! Our objective.
60 days, 35 mm.
Urgent messenger!
A little respect!
Get down from there!
Message for the command centre.
The troops are tired and need nourishment.
Transmit!
Proteins, collagen, ovalbumine.
Yes! I've got that!
Take this command: collagen and ovalbumine.
Get to work!
Teams 5 and 22 to the duplication room.
Hurry up! It's an urgent command!
Eh oh!
I'll never understand this machine!
Why a "U" in place of "T".
Oh well, that's just how it is!
That's good!
The ARN messenger has been sent!
That's fine!
Good!
Ah no, no! We need a "U". A "Uracil".
Look here! You can clearly see that won't work!
You're not in the right place.
Oh that's good! Next!
Voilą!
Et voilą!
I wish someone would explain what all this is for.
What are they manufacturing?
I don't understand a thing!
Proteins ready.
Proteins ready, ready to be dispatched!
Load up that protein!
Clear off!
But who's this who's arrived?
Move along protein! They need you there.
Let's go!
80 days, 9cm.
120 days, 20 cm.
140 days, 25 cm.
170 days, 30 cm.
200 days, 35 cm.
225 days, 40 cm.
250 days, 45 cm.
270 days, 9 months, 50 cm.
Weight, 3.2 kg.
The assembly of 60 billion cells.
A single fertilised cell,
manufactured muscle and skin, skeleton and brain,
heart and lungs, bone, arms, legs.
In 56 generations, a single cell has made
life.
Subs by Jorge Goncalves