The purpose of this essay is to explore some of the mechanisms involved in the seed dispersal in plants. Plants are some of the most ancient biological organisms on the planet, and over the millennia they have adapted to utilise both the natural resources of the earth and the animals on it in order to spread their seeds. Without a variety of processes plants would be restricted to localised geographical areas, and this would limit their populations. This essay discusses some of the major ways that
What is hydrochory? The dispersal of seeds or fruits plants by means of water currents. Hydrochory is used primarily by several species of aquatic plants or plants that inhabit near bodies of water. However, there are species which also uses this method of transmission as a secondary means of dispersal. The adaptations for plants that primary use this means of dispersion vary in different species, ranging from thick coats on fruits or seeds to large spaces of air for buoyancy. Due to the long distances
Pain and Panic: The Demons behind Biological Fear "A variety of terms are used to describe fear. The Bible uses words like fear, afraid, terror, dread, anxious, tremble, shake, and quake over 850 times to portray this core human emotion. Healthcare professionals use terms like fear, anxiety, panic attack, and phobia to illuminate the spectrum of our fears." (2) Our emotions are said to be the most subjective of all our biological components. It seems that we have a difficult time grasping
Misunderstanding Men and Women Since the beginning of biological time, males and females have had noticeable and unnoticeable differences. These differences have caused conflicts, which have endured time and are still a part of our modern everyday lives. However, the discord has become more defined than what is characterized as a woman and a man. In order to attempt accordance between the sexes, it is essential that we educated ourselves in the true meanings of men, women, masculinity, femininity
Bioinformatics - Solving Biological Problems Using DNA and Amino Acid Sequences 1. Introduction In the wake of Genomic revolution, biology that used to be a lab-based science has transformed to embrace Information science. Human Genome Project is a 13-year project focusing on identifying approximately 30,000 genes in human DNA. The information found is stored in databases, analyzed and used for different purposes like simplifying diagnosis of disease, earlier detection of genetic predisposition
Race: Social Concept, Biological Idea Race, in the common understanding, draws upon differences not only of skin color and physical attributes but also of language, nationality, and religion. Race categories are often used as ethnic intensifiers, with the aim of justifying the exploitation of one group by another. Race is an idea that has become so fixed in American society that there is no room for open-mindedness when challenging the idea of racial categories. Over the years there has been a
Metaphor, Sociobiology, and Nature vs. Nurture: The Biological Battle of the Century Ladies and Gentlemen! I am proud to present one of the biggest and longest-running biological battles of the century! Tonight we recap the surprising nature vs. nurture fight. The following pages will explain the highlights, but if you want to learn about this war in its entirety, you’ll find the blow-by-blow account available to the public in Connie Barlow’s collection, From Gaia to Selfish Genes, in a chapter
Making a Monster: The Biological, Social, and Artistic Construction of a Serial Killer From Psychosis to Sondheim Jack the Ripper, John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, the Boston Strangler, Jeffrey Dahmer. Despite the years of history that separate these names, they remain indelibly preserved within our collective societal consciousness because of the massively violent and calculated nature of their crimes. Serial killers, both men and women, represent social monstrosities of the most terrifying variety
Efficiency Above All: A Biological Look at Suicide "And let me ask you this; the dead, where aren't they?" – Franz Wright, New Yorker Magazine, Oct. 6, 2003 "Dear Mom and Dad," the letter begins benignly, "Thank you for all of your commitment. But I am not a suitable daughter, and you will all be better off without me. Please realize I have done this for your own good." Nothing more. And beside it, Mr. and Mrs. A find their daughter, dead by her own hand. So begin the episodes of anguished
Imperialism: Historical and Biological Perspectives Imperialism evokes images of past grandeur, expansive landholdings and wealth that do not seem to be conducive to modern-day existence. Yet as a general paradigm of behavior, imperialism may be more ubiquitous and inherent than first glance would suggest. By drawing analogy between the actions of historically imperialistic nations and bee colonies, a universal “imperialism” emerges, spanning history and nature. In the Roman Empire and current
Biological Determinism 1. According to the author of the article "All in the Genes?", there is no intrinsic causality between genetics and intelligence. The author analyses different aspects of biological determinism, and supplies many examples, which illustrate aspects of this problem that are being discussed since the time when these ideas became popular. He does not agree with biological determinist that the intellectual performance of a person depends on genes inherited from his parents
Through research of DNA samples, scientists have been able to declare that race is not biologically constructed due to the similarities between human genes. Nevertheless, in reality, people still emphasized on biological aspects such as skin color, or hair texture to categorize others into different races. This in turn, denied the true identity of race, which it is culturally constructed. Ethnicity, by definition is also culturally constructed, therefore it greatly resemble race. There is no real
Biological Differences that Exist Between Individuals in a Population Physical anthropologists view humans as biological organisms. Coupled with genetics and biochemistry, scientists can form a more complete picture of human anatomy, both past and present. Physical anthropology looks at human variation and evolution. Variation looks at the biological differences that exist between individuals within a population and at individuals between populations (e.g., body shape, size, and physiological
The aging process is difficult to analyze because of the way that the body’s organ systems work together. The breakdown of one structure will ultimately affect the function of others. The medical field of gerontology deals with examining the biological changes of aging, both passive and active, that occur at the molecular and cellular levels. This paper will seek to explore those changes, and the affect that they have on the process of aging. Aging as a passive process involves the breakdown of structures
Biological Species Concept (BSC) What are biological species? At first glance, this seems like an easy question to answer. Homo sapiens is a species, and so is Canis familaris (dog). Many species can be easily distinguished. When we turn to the technical literature on species, the nature of species becomes much less clear. Biologists offer a dozen definitions of the term "species". These definitions are not fringe accounts of species but prominent definitions in the current biological literature
Biological Causes of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa affect millions of people each year in the United States (1). Popular thought holds that these disorders are caused by women trying to fulfill a culturally imposed ideal body image which stresses thinness. As anorexia and bulimia have proven difficult to treat solely with a psychological-based treatment plan it is likely that there are many factors contributing to these disorders. Research has shown
Social / Biological Death Humans are bound to die inevitably. Not a single person, no matter how much money you have, or how beautiful you are, death is inescapable. While we all know we are eventually be deceased, we try to make the best of it. We all strive to make our life as comfortable as possible; surround ourselves with warm people, fall in love, start a family, make friends, and the list goes on. Majority of people lead a normal, satisfying happy life until their age catches up and passes
Detection of Biological Molecules Introduction: Without carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen and phosphorus, life wouldn't exist. These are the most abundant elements in living organisms. These elements are held together by covalent bonds, ionic bonds, hydrogen bonds, and disulfide bonds. Covalent bonds are especially strong, thus, are present in monomers, the building blocks of life. These monomers combine to make polymers, which is a long chain of monomers strung together. Biological molecules
Cryobiology: Low Temperature Studies Of Biological Systems Thesis: Low temperature biology, or cryobiology, has the possibility, and may very easily and very drastically affect everyones' lives in the future. Through rapidly approaching cryobiological medical procedures and techniques, the presence of intense ethical issues may play an important role in many everyday decisions that do not now exist. Introduction What is cryobiology? It is "the study of the effects of freezing and low
individuals. The specific technique I will focus on is call Biological warfare. Biological warfare is a type of war that targets specific people or a specific whole country. When Biological warfare is used it usually involves a substance in which to harm others by immediate death, or death by exposure. The substance is usually used within a confined space for maximum exposure to the victims of the gas, disease, or radiation. Biological warfare usually kills people on the spot, or has long term effects