Land Ethics and Ecology (including ecological systems)
Land Ethics and Ecology (including ecological systems) Ralph M. Dahm SCI 361 - Environmental Issues and Ethics Dr. Theodore R. Ferguson April 9, 2005 Abstract Several arguments exist regarding environmental responsibility to future generations. What is the responsibility to protect and preserve ecological systems? Significant environmental damage has already been suffered. The potential for this damage to increase or become permanent is elevated. The consequences of ignoring land ethics are building. The significance of land ethics and ecology, including the impact to ecological systems, is explored. The impact of increased population is considered. Possible outcomes and solutions are evaluated. One haunting question remains unanswered. Land Ethics and Ecology Jardins (2001) argument that a responsibility exists to future generations is valid. The "argument from ignorance" position seems to be a convenient excuse to avoid responsibility. The needs and wants of future generations are unknown. Living in a contaminated environment would not be one of them. Ethically a responsibility exists to protect the natural environment for those who will inhabit the planet in the distant future. At a minimum a duty exists not to cause further harm. Unfortunately, serious damage has already been inflicted. In the 1940's uranium mining supported the development of atomic weapons.
Biological Membranes
Biological Membranes By Nishant Pradhan Ideas ) Biological membranes are a very complex part of a cell.- 2) Many variations of membranes exist even in a simple cell- 3) Give the main reason and importance of a cell membrane- 4) Different organelles, depending on their purpose have suitable membranes- 5) Give examples of different organelles having a specific type of membrane- 6) Explain the basic features of the plasma membrane- 7) Explain what pores do- 8) Explain why the membranes looks the way it does under the electron microscope- 9) Freeze fracture technique used to investigate inside the membrane- 0) Mitochondria having two separate membranes- 1) Temperature affects the membrane e.g. active transport may cease- 2) Plasma membrane in active transport- 3) Bounding cells together- 4) Chemical components of the membrane- 5) Gas exchange- 6) Cell membranes are made by the help of the golgi apparatus (explain)- 7) Chloroplast membranes- 8) Membrane around nucleus- 9) Cell wall shouldn't be confused with the cell membrane- 20) It is the cell membrane that is pulled during plasmolysis not the cell wall.- 21) A light microscope is not strong enough to clearly distinguish between the -features of a cell membrane, therefore an electron microscope is necessary PLAN ) Introduction - Cell membranes and the misconception. The complexity. 2) How the structure
Bi technology and food security: The clue for a new green revolution?
BITECHNOLOGY AND FOOD SECURITY: THE CLUE FOR A NEW GREEN REVOLUTION? RURAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS TANIA MARTIN CRUZ APRIL 2002 INTRODUCTION Biotechnology is a new revolution; it has the power to modify DNA in living organisms in order to achieve the required results. With biotechnology genetic engineering has reached a powerful status, it means that human beings can adapt living organisms to their necessities or desires. My goal has been to analyse biotechnology and specifically Genetic Modified Crops (GM crops), to know if they can be the tool for a New Green Revolution. A revolution that will be able to provide food security to the poor in developing countries, to use the potential benefits of biotechnology to prevent hunger and poverty, to improve the nutritional status of food or make them adaptable to specific weather conditions among other properties. To achieve this I have analysed the principal points of view about biotechnology, their objectives, benefits and risks and from this I have developed my own arguments about biotechnology and food security. My assumption and the arguments given are addressed to demonstrate that biotechnology could be a potential tool to improve food security but the actual companies being managed to develop researches on biotechnology are not considering food security as one of the main goals, on the contrary, they are adapting
Heat Balance in a Hot Environment
TITLE PAGE Heat Balance in a Hot Environment Name: Mubeen Iqbal SID: 200242757 Date: 29/10/07 Programme: Human Physiology Module Code: BMSC 2305 - Experimental Techniques in Physiology Number of Words (excluding figures, figure legends and references): 1702 INTRODUCTION Heat balance is achieved when the body keeps its core body temperature constant. This happens when heat gained by the body is equal to heat lost by the body. Generally, body core temperature will decrease if more heat is lost than gained and core body temperature will increase if more heat is gained than lost. The major way in which heat is lost from the body is by evaporation of sweat. Heat is also given out by radiation, convection, and conduction. Heat is produced by metabolism and muscle activity. During exercise metabolism increases dramatically and therefore produces a lot of heat. The aims of this experiment are to discover and examine the thermoregulatory responses which occur when a subject moves from being at rest in a cool environment to exercising a hot environment, and then back to being at rest in a cool environment. METHOD The height and mass of the subject was measured initially, and the Du Bois nomogram was used to calculate the body surface area of the subject. Skin temperature probes were attached at the chest, the calf, and the distal pad of the middle finger using adhesive
Control of Respiration
Introduction The process of gas exchange within the body is know as respiration and has three fundamental stages: * Pulmonary ventilation - also known as breathing, is the inhalation and exhalation of gas between the air outside and the alveoli of the lungs * External respiration - refers to the exchange of gases in the alveoli of the lungs and the blood in pulmonary capillaries, where the capillary blood gains O² and loses CO² * Internal respiration - is the gas exchange between blood in systemic capillaries and tissue cells. This process can also be referred to as cellular respiration. Pulmonary ventilation is a result of alternating pressure differences, between the atmosphere and the alveoli of the lungs, due to contraction and relaxation of respiratory muscles. To enable air to flow into the lungs, the pressure within the alveoli must be lower than that of the atmosphere outside. This can be achieved by increasing the volume of the lungs. The process of pulmonary ventilation is organized by the CNS via the spinal nerves. These spinal nerves innervate the intercostals muscles and the diaphragm by fibers of the phrenic nerves which appear from the spinal cord at cervical levels C3, C4 & C5. The output of these fibers, also known as motor neurons, is controlled by the medullary ryhthmicity area located at the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata in the
An investigation into the abundance of freshwater invertebrates in pools and riffles at six different sites of Embercombe and Nutscale Water
Introduction An investigation into the abundance of freshwater invertebrates in pools and riffles at six different sites of Embercombe and Nutscale Water, and more specifically into the abundance of swimming mayfly in relation to the velocity of the site where they are found. The investigation involved sampling freshwater invertebrates by stone washing and counting the abundance of the different species at the different sites. The abiotic factors velocity, temperature, width and depth of the sites were also measured. Prediction I think there will be a difference in the abundance of freshwater invertebrates between pools and riffles. I think there will be a greater abundance of freshwater invertebrates in riffles and very few in pools. This is because riffles are ideal if the organism requires a large amount of oxygen as the fast flow of riffles allows more oxygen to dissolve in the water. Also their low depth means that predators such as fish can rarely survive there. This is the reason I think there will be very few freshwater invertebrates in pools, because fish can prey on them, also a lot of carnivorous freshwater invertebrates such as water beetles and water mites are also found in pools which may feed on and reduce the abundance of smaller freshwater invertebrates. I also think the higher the velocity of the stream, the higher the abundance of swimming mayfly found
proteins in mammalian PC12
The behaviour of long polyglutamine-containing proteins in mammalian PC12 cells Project report in partial fulfilment for the degree of MSc in Neuroscience August 2008 Janahi Visakan Supervised by Dr Angela Hodges Department Of Neuroscience Institute of Psychiatry King's College London University Of London The behaviour of long polyglutamine-containing proteins in mammalian PC12 cells Abstract Huntington's disease is an autosomal dominant, inherited neurodegenerative disorder induced by a glutamine expansion repeat at the N-terminal end of the huintingtin protein. These N-terminal fragments of huntingtin aggregate in the nucleus and destroy cells. This genetic disorder is accompanied by motor, cognitive, personality changes and psychiatric symptoms. If the number of glutamine residues increase to more than 37, then this induces an adult, onset gradual progressive neurodegeneration known as HD.The genome of D.discoideum, a social amoeba consists of polyglutamine fragments longer than 40 residues. These long polyglutamine fragments do not confer any toxic effects .In addition the genome sequencing of D.discoideum has demonstrated that this organism is able to withstand a large number of proteins containing long polyglutamine stretches. A synthetically generated CAAX repeat construct was clone d into a mammalian expression vector using the gateway system (Invitrogen) to
Discovery of Rice Genome by Monsanto Company.
Biotechnology - Discovery of Rice Genome by Monsanto Company Summary This is a four-page paper on biotechnology. Taking Monsanto Company as a case study, the paper discusses the recent discovery of rice genome. The 21st century provides immense opportunities for an unparallel growth in the field of biotechnology and life sciences. By using the discipline of biology, ever-new ways to produce food, fiber and other valuable consumer products are being developed. The consumer products vary in range from pharmaceuticals, to plastics developed from renewable and environmentally sustainable sources. In the field of agriculture, biotechnology is being used for crop hybridization, mechanization, commercial fertilizers and pesticides that are not only safe, but they benefit agricultural technology. In combination with traditional seed and plant protection technologies, biotechnology is aiding the filed of Integrated Pest Management and Integrated Crop Management. Though all these products and disciplines are the fruits from the developments in biotechnology, determination of their safety or potential risks to human safety, plant and animal health require a close regulation and monitoring from institutions such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The following paper will however
The solubilisation and purification of an intrinsic membrane protein presents problems distinct from those encountered in purifying a conventional soluble protein. Discuss this statement.
The solubilisation and purification of an intrinsic membrane protein presents problems distinct from those encountered in purifying a conventional soluble protein. Discuss this statement. Word count: 1860 In order to answer the question, this essay will first describe how soluble proteins are purified. It will then describe the process of solubilising an integral membrane protein specifically, and demonstrate differences between the two processes. There are several methods for the purification of proteins in aqueous solution. Since these methods discriminate based on one characteristic that may be shared by several proteins, it is almost always necessary to use multiple methods to purify a protein from its cellular environment. First, the cell must be homogenised in order to make all the proteins within available. In theory, this presents a problem since proteins are mixed with proteases, and could be degraded. In practice vacuoles form spontaneously and quickly to mitigate this effect so it is not a problem that has to be contended with. After homogenisation, there are several chromatographic methods available to purify proteins completely. Size exclusion chromatography separates proteins based on molecular weight, as smaller proteins are retarded by the resin and so take longer to flow through. Ion exchange chromatography involves charged resin which binds charged amino
International Biodiversity Day 2005
[SW1] International Biodiversity Day 2005 Sunday May 22, was the International Day for Biological Diversity. Each year celebrated to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Biological Diversity is defined[SW2] as: Life on earth: the variety of all plants, animals and microorganisms. Celebrating the day also marks the signing of the International Convention on Biological Diversity by 150 government leaders at the 1992 Earth Summit (aka the Rio Summit) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, dedicated to promoting sustainable development. Thought as a practical tool for translating the principles of Agenda 21 into reality. The Convention recognises that biological diversity is about more than plants, animals and micro-organisms and their ecosystems. It is also about people and our need for food security, medicines, fresh air and water, shelter, and a clean and healthy environment in which to live. Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods and ecological services that make up the source of life for all. The celebration each year of the International Day for Biological Diversity is an occasion to reflect on our responsibility to safeguard this precious heritage for future generations. Sadly, the earth's biological foundation is eroding at a rate unequalled in at least 65 million years. Globally, species have been disappearing at 50-100 times the natural
