Examine the reasons for the existence and localities of biodiversity hotspots.
Supervision 2: Examine the reasons for the existence and localities of biodiversity hotspots "I have never experienced such intense delight... such a plenitude of forms, colours, behaviours-such a magnitude of Life! What explains the riot?" - Darwin (1851) "The current massive degradation of habitat and extinction of species is taking place on a catastrophically short timescale, and their effects will fundamentally reset the future evolution of the planet's biota." - Novacek & Cleland (2001) Biodiversity may be regarded as 'the number, variety and variability of living organisms' (MacDonald, 2003: 406). Whilst global variation in biological diversity has long been a source of fascination, it has recently been the basis for increasing concern (Tilman, 2000). Awareness of the extent and rate of the current biodiversity crisis (or the 'sixth extinction', as termed by Leakey & Lewin, 1996) has led to a significant re-assessment of the role of biodiversity in ecosystem functioning and the scope for policy intervention to enable its preservation, exemplified by the international ratification of the Convention on Biodiversity in 1992. The identification and analysis of spatial patterns of biodiversity has been central to conservation goals of maximum preservation at the least cost (Reddy & Davalos, 2003). The hotspots approach is one of many methods for delimiting areas of
Elodea Plant Lab
Aquatic Photosynthesis of Elodea Leaves Lab Design Problem: What is the effect of temperature (warm, cool, room temperature) on the rate of photosynthesis in Elodea leaves measured by the levels of dissolved oxygen in the flask solutions? Hypothesis: If temperature is related to the rate of photosynthesis (levels of dissolved oxygen) then increasing the temperate will increase the rate of photosynthesis up to an optimal temperature. Variables: Independent: temperature of the water bath which the Elodea plant is immersed in Dependent: the rate of photosynthesis measured by the level of oxygen dissolved in the flask solution Constants: Relative size of the Elodea leaf, relative surface area of the Elodea leaves, (around 3 cm each), volume of water in all beakers, amounts of light exposure to the plants, and type of light source. Method: Materials: Light Source Elodea. Keep this warm and illuminated before you use it, 3 small flasks, 0g/L sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) solution, oxygen sensor Lab Quest data logger. Graduated cylinder Hot Plate 3 Large beaker (1 for warm water, 1 for cool water, 1 room temp) 3 thermometers Procedure: ) Day one: Before beginning the actual lab-Listen for teacher instructions and familiarize yourself with the LabQuest datalogger and its functions using the quick start guide. We will devote this day to learning how to use the
Sameness of Twins
The Sameness of Twins: A Critique of Literature The root word of twinning is twine, suggesting a double thread. This is acknowledged as global human trait and is intrinsically part of what is inherited. The incidence of twinning differs, ranging from 1 out of 30 births among Nigerians, to as rare as 1 in 150 births among Japanese. The distinction between monozygous and dizygous twins lies in the fact that monozygous twins arise from the same ovum, while dizygous twins hail from separate ova (Medawar & Medawar, 1983; Thompson & Thompson, 1980). Figure 1. Formation of identical and fraternal twins. Source: http://www.pennhealth.com/health_info/pregnancy/graphics/images/en/19745.jpg It has been widely acknowledged in biological sciences (Medawar & Medawar, 1983), genetics (King, 1968), and immunology (Humphrey & White, 1970) that monozygous twins are "genetically identical". However, the current paper now comes to question where this identicality ceases. Their differences are attested to by the physical and pathologic distinctions found across empirical studies (Milne, 1976; Osborne & De George, 1959; Schimke, 1978; Stern,1973). Schimke (1978) asserts that these distinctions come from "environmental differences, cytoplasmic differences, equations of heritability versus variability, non-penetrance of the heritable mutant gene, gonadal mutation, and premutation."
Nucleotide Excision Repair
The Importance of DNA Repair Systems and Process of Nucleotide Excision Repair Name: Thien Nguyen ID: 20299974 TA: Kristyna Wilson Bio 130 Tutorial Tuesday, November 10th 2009 As we go about our daily lives, our cells are hard at work to maintain our well-being. Whether it is providing the energy required doing everyday tasks or just repairing what has been damaged from the constant bombardment of harmful forces, the cell is a formidable force on its own. And it should, because within every cell, DNA enclosed, which is the genetic information that houses the instructions for an organism to function and also a very vulnerable part of the cell to harmful alterations. With radiation, the backbone of a DNA is broken, when exposed to reactive chemicals or UV light; the DNA's bases can be altered structurally (Karp, 2008). While there are many mechanisms for repair for DNA, the nucleotide excision repair (NER) is one of the most effective and versatile repair systems within the cell that acts on the DNA. The reasons for this is because of its ability to recognize, remove a wide variety of alterations in the DNA called lesions, and replacing the damaged part of the DNA (Leibeling et al, 2006). Before this system can do any work on the damaged part of the DNA, it must recognize the lesion first. There are two ways pathways in which the nucleotide excision repair can
Functionality of Cardiac and Skeletal Muscles
Functionality of Cardiac and Skeletal Muscles Sean Tavakoli April 14, 2010 Section: A020 Abstract: Lab exercises 8 and 9 were performed to learn about the physiological properties of skeletal and cardiac muscles. In lab exercise 8, the gastrocnemius muscle was isolated from a bullfrog and several experiments were performed with a kymograph to test the effect of stimulus intensity on a muscle, the timing of muscular contraction, and testing titanic contraction. In lab exercise 9, a bullfrog heart was used to understand the properties of cardiac muscle. Cardiac muscle is very unique, because it can only be found in the heart organ. Experiments in lab exercise 9 included controlling the heart rate with four different agents: adrenalin, cold ringer's solution, warm ringer's solution, and acetylcholine. Additionally, the initiation and transmission of cardiac contraction was tested by stopping the SA node and finally looking at the reaction properties of cardiac muscle with the assistance of a kymograph (Stefaniak pg 84). Introduction: Skeletal and Cardiac muscles can be very similar. They possess the ability to contract due to the actin and myosin sliding filaments, which is a trait in every type of muscle tissue. They are also both striated and when stimulated, can cause action potentials. This means that they both follow the sliding-filament model, which is based on the
The Germ Theory of Disease. In the nineteenth century when the distribution of microscopes became widespread, the sheer degree of microbial life forms was more apparent and thus the two questions Does spontaneous generation occur? a
The Germ Theory of Disease Although the germ theory of disease is mainly accredited to Louis Pasteur for his work in disproving the theory of spontaneous generation, to Robert Koch for developing the criteria required to ascertain whether a microorganism has caused a certain disease (Koch's postulates), and to Joseph Lister for the introduction of antiseptics into surgery, a whole host of other scientists have contributed both directly and indirectly to the establishment of the theory (Snowden 2010). In the nineteenth century when the distribution of microscopes became widespread, the sheer degree of microbial life forms was more apparent and thus the two questions - "Does spontaneous generation occur?" and "What is the nature of infectious disease?" emerged (Madigan M. T. et al. 2009. pp. 10-11). The answering of these questions would lead to what would become the basis of the germ theory of disease. Question 1 - "Does spontaneous generation occur?" Many scientists have worked on and contributed to answering this question. In 1668, Francesco Redi, proved that the popular belief that maggots arose spontaneously from rotting meat was false. Even though this was on a much larger scale than disease causing microorganisms, the basic principle which would later be applied was the same. Redi did this by setting out meat in a variety of flasks, with varying degrees of
EFFECT OF Light wave Length on Photosynthisis
Introduction Plants are vital for the life of humans, animals and the ecosystem. They add beauty to the places that we live in and play a major role in the air purification process. Many of the medications we use to cure the diseases are made from plants. Plants and plant communities also provide the necessary habitat for wildlife and fish populations, which is very important to humans as particular wildlife and fish make up a significant portion of our diet. Most of all, the oxygen in the air we breathe comes from the photosynthesis of plants, and as a result, the quality of the air can be greatly influenced by plants. (Environment Explorers, 2008). Photosynthesis is one of nature's greatest miracles. Through this process, green plants absorb sunlight in their leaves and convert the photonic energy into chemical energy that is stored as sugars in the plants' biomass. Photosynthesis is the source of the oxygen, which we breathe. Before plants appeared, the earth's atmosphere was high in carbon dioxide but contained no oxygen. The present atmosphere, by comparison, is about 0.035% carbon dioxide and 21% oxygen - thanks to photosynthesis (Calvin M., 1962). Each year, 105 billion ton of biomass is produced by photosynthesis energy conversion (Quantum-mechanical) Optimization of Light-Harvesting in Photosynthesis, a biomass that is equal to two great pyramids of Giza is
Regional anatomy - case studies of the spinal region
Jun Wang NAECM2011-118007 Regional Anatomy Lab –Assignment 1 Case 1 Case Summary: Lymph node biopsy was performed on a patient to obtain a sample of her left deep cervical nodes. Following the surgery, the patient complained of weakness in her left shoulder, which is then closely examined to confirm her inability to raise the point of her shoulder. However, the patient’s new symptom was not associated with numbness in her shoulder, back or neck. Terms: Lymph node biopsy: Lymph nodes are part of the body's immune system, where produce and harbor infection-fighting white blood cells (lymphocytes) that attack and can be attacked by both infectious agents and cancer cells. For that reason, physicians do a needle biopsy to remove a portion of a lymph node and examine under the microscope to find evidence of these problems. Deep cervical nodes: are a group of lymph nodes situated around or near the internal jugular vein. Includes two groups, superior and inferior, based on the point where the omohyoid muscle crosses the vein. Case Discussion: In class, our group discussed about Case 1. Our first question was to identify which nerve has been cut during the biopsy that would cause the symptoms developed. After looking up the anatomical location of both deep cervical lymph nodes and all the major nerves neighboring, we were able to determine it was the Accessory
What Limits if any should be placed on the use of the following Biotechnologies. Cloning and Embryonic Stem Cell in Research and Treatment
Controversies & Ethical Dilemmas In Science & Technology Department of Humanities Imperial College London What Limits if any should be placed on the use of the following Biotechnologies. Cloning and Embryonic Stem Cell in Research and Treatment In this paper I will discuss the moral issues surrounding Cloning and Stem Cell research biotechnologies and whether appropriate restrictions need to be enforced to address many of the controversial aspects regarding the conduct of research. The use of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is associated with many ethical controversies, as during the stem cell harvest process many embryos are destroyed. Many consider the destruction of nascent human life immoral and unethical. [1] To address this issue, the hESC policy debate in the United States focused on enforcing appropriate limits on the use of public dollar contributing to hESC research. [2] Many opponents to embryonic stem cell research believe it is morally unacceptable to fund what they perceive as being a highly controversial area of science. However, during the debate there was little disagreement on the legality of the research, and on August 9th 2001, President George W. Bush favored funding of stem cell research. [3] The guidelines set out by Bush agreed that the federal government should not fund hESC research, which required further destruction of embryos [2]
How do the physical properties of the ears help the brain decode and interpret sounds?
How do the physical properties of the ears help the brain decode and interpret sounds? Sound travels as osccialtion through some medium. The function of ears is to transmit the sound into electric messages which are sent to the brain which perceives and interprets the sound. Ears consist of three parts the outer ear, middle and inner ears. The outer ear consists of the pinna which collects the sound and transmits it to the ear canal, which amplifies the sound and transmits it to the tympanic membrane, the division between the outer ear and the middle ear. The middle ear consist of tympanic membrane, osiccles (three bones connected in sequence: hammer, anvil and stirrup) and oval window. When the sound vibration from the outer ear reaches the tympanic membrane it vibrates at the same rate as the vibration from the outer ear. The vibrating tympanic membrane causes ossicles to vibrate, which transmits the vibration to the oval window. The sound is amplified when transmitted as the tympanic membrane is much larger then the oval window, and the bigger force is needed to transmit the vibration from the air module to the fluid filled cochlea of the inner ear. This amplification is also aided by lever-like action of ossicles. This helps to permit the loss of sound energy. Two muscles connected to the ossicles (stapedius and tensor tympani) may damp down this amplification when
