Biology †Characteristics of Life and Principles

Biology - Characteristics of Life and Principles What is biology? Simply put, it is the study of life, in all of its grandeur. Biology concerns all life forms, from the very small algae to the very large elephant. But how do we know if something is living? For example,  is a virus alive or dead? To answer these questions, biologists have created a set of criteria called the characteristics of life.   The Characteristics of Life Living things include both the visible world of animals, plants, and fungi as well as the invisible world of bacteria and viruses. On a basic level, we can say that life is ordered. Organisms have an enormously complex organization. Were all familiar with the intricate systems of the basic unit of life, the cell. Life can work. No, this doesnt mean all animals are qualified for a job. It means that living creatures can take in energy from the environment. This energy, in the form of food, is transformed to maintain metabolic processes and for survival. Life grows and develops. This means more than just replicating or getting larger in size. Living organisms also have the ability to rebuild and repair themselves when injured. Life can reproduce. Have you ever seen dirt reproduce? I dont think so. Life can only come from other living creatures. Life can respond. Think about the last time you accidentally stubbed your toe. Almost instantly, you flinched back in pain. Life is characterized by this response to stimuli. Finally, life can adapt and respond to the demands placed on it by the environment. There are three basic types of adaptations that can occur in higher organisms. Reversible changes occur as a response to changes in the environment. Lets say you live near sea level and you travel to a mountainous area. You may begin to experience difficulty breathing and an increase in heart rate as a result of the change in altitude. These symptoms go away when you go back down to sea level.Somatic changes occur as a result of prolonged changes in the environment. Using the previous example, if you were to stay in the mountainous area for a long time, you would notice that your heart rate would begin to slow down and you would begin to breath normally. Somatic changes are also reversible.The final type of adaptation is called genotypic (caused by genetic mutation). These changes take place within the genetic makeup of the organism and are not reversible. An example would be the development of resistance to pesticides by insects and spiders. In summary, life is organized, works, grows, reproduces, responds to stimuli and adapts. These characteristics form the basis of the study of biology. Basic Principles of Biology The foundation of biology as it exists today is based on five basic principles. They are the cell theory, gene theory, evolution, homeostasis, and laws of thermodynamics. Cell Theory: all living organisms are composed of cells. The cell is the basic unit of life.Gene Theory: traits are inherited through gene transmission. Genes are located on chromosomes and consist of DNA.Evolution: any genetic change in a population that is inherited over several generations. These changes may be small or large, noticeable or not so noticeable.Homeostasis: ability to maintain a constant internal environment in response to environmental changes.Thermodynamics: energy is constant and energy transformation is not completely efficient. Subdiciplines of BiologyThe field of biology is very broad in scope and can be divided into several disciplines. In the most general sense, these disciplines are categorized based on the type of organism studied. For example,  zoology deals with animal studies, botany deals with plant studies, and microbiology is the study of microorganisms. These fields of study can be broken down further into several specialized sub-disciplines. Some of which include anatomy, cell biology, genetics, and physiology.

Write a discussion in the form of a literature review that identifies Essay

Write a discussion in the form of a literature review that identifies what the different research philosophies are - Essay Example Thus, the choice of methodology for answering a research question or investigating a specific problem is an important decision for the final result or outcome. The way in which people collect and interpret data or information during the research is broadly varying and depends on the research philosophy followed by a researcher. Every methodology has its own philosophical groundwork, which is important for understanding as it promotes better informed research (Eriksson & Kovalainen, 2008). The aim of this research is to provide an overview of the literature related to various research philosophies including both ontological and epistemological research stances, and to explore such main philosophical research paradigms, as idealism, realism, positivism, interpretivism, pragmatism, and phenomenology. Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2012) explain that practically every stage of research process is based on assumptions about human knowledge, and state that these assumptions shape the researcher’s understanding of the questions he/she is looking answers for. Therefore, assumptions of the researcher predefine his/her research philosophy – the way which he or she views the world (Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill, 2012; Crossan, 2003). Research philosophy is defined by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2012, p. 127) as â€Å"the development of knowledge and the nature of that knowledge†. Proctor (1998) explains that research philosophies depend on the level of enquiry and can be differentiated by three categories: epistemological (what can be known?); ontological (what is the nature of reality?); and methodological (how can a researcher explore/find what he/she believes can be known?). More detailed overview of ontological and epistemological stances in provided in th e next section. While researchers rarely take time to explore and analyze assumptions related to their personal values, this practice could be very helpful in understanding wider

Minority Groups Self Determination In California Essay

Minority Groups Self Determination In California - Essay Example The United States Government was a target of their dismay. In response to the 'Black experience' Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded a group called the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers adopted a socialist agenda that included establishing community based programs that focused on Blacks helping Blacks. Membership in the Black Panthers was limited to African-Americans and purposely did not allow Whites or Hispanics entry to their group. The reason for not allowing membership to Whites was based on the premise that Whites changed how African-Americans behave and act. Their presence was considered a hindrance because the atmosphere, and what Blacks spoke about at meetings, was altered by their mere presence. The Black Panthers argued that if Whites were allowed membership society would assume that the Blacks can't do it alone and the group would fall prey to old stereotypes such as 'Blacks are dumb' and 'Blacks are not able to effectively run and organization without the help of the Wh ites. Also, Blacks argued that Whites do not understand the Black experience so therefore could not relate to the problems faced by Blacks. The Black Panthers focused on the struggle for "ethnic minority and working class emancipation." (USA History Archives). The Bl The Black Panthers were considered a threat to the U.S. Government and were monitored closely by the FBI. But, this did not hinder the party's attempts at social reform. The Blacks were successful in showing that they alone could run and organization successfully and create social programs that met the needs of the Black population. The Black Panthers were responsible for the creation of a feeding program that served breakfast every morning before school to 10,000 Black children across the United States. The Black Panthers also created a medical outreach program in California that conducted health screenings for sickle cell anemia and other diseases that disproportionally affect Black Americans. If we fast forwarded and placed the Black Panthers in the California of today we might find that they would not be tolerated because of the recent history of terrorism. Much of what the Black Panthers did in the 1960's and 1970's would be classified as terrorism today. Their desire for a socialist reform of American society would be misinterpreted as terrorism rather than self-determination. 2. The American Indian Experience. In California history American Indians have a similar experience of discrimination and domination by their White counterparts. Indigenous populations in California have a history that is wrought with domination by outside forces - specifically by Spaniards and the French. Early California history consists of the Spaniards military domination and subjugation of the indigenous population. Although stories of Spanish missions include taking care of the Indians and converting them to Christianity, what's not included is the incarceration type environment that the Indians were held in. Their Anglo cousins took great pride in dominating and teaching these 'savages' to live and behave like 'normal' human beings. These labor camps benefited the conquerors more than the indigenous

Video Rental Store Database Information Technology Essay

Video Rental Store Database Information Technology Essay Development of a Video Rental Store database application for JJ Video Library to facilitate efficient data storage and retrieval. Background to the Project JJ Video Library is a store which rents out videos to its members. It was established in 2006. It is located in Kimara, Kinondoni district of Dar es Salaam. The stores success is due to the good service it provides to its members and the wide and varied stock of videos available for rent. The store is having difficulties in managing the increasing amount of data used and generated. It cant cope with its own success. It now offers a larger selection of videos to a growing number of members, which means that the level of service it provides is falling. A system that will speed up the way they work, i.e. something to automate a lot of the day-to-day tasks that seem to take forever to complete is needed. The aim of this project is to develop a database application that will help solve the increasing problems of data management. Objectives The main objectives for the system are as follows: 3.1) Technical To produce an overall requirements specification for the system. To design and develop the system by adapting the waterfall model. 3.2) Personal To gain programming experience in PHP and MySQL. To produce a system that will meet the need of the store. To improve my understanding in organizing and carrying out a software development project. 3.3) Academic To meet the academic requirements of the B.Sc. ICTM final year Project. Justification 4.1) Reasons for choosing this project The primary reason for choosing this particular project is to solve the business need of JJ Video Library, which is detailed in section 5.1. Without a real-time database application, it is extremely difficult to manage the growing size of the data being stored. In the new system the following manual functions will be automated: Check in and out Find customer show details. Show customers current rentals. Return a video on time. Return a video late pay fine. Return late video without paying. Paying outstanding fines. Locate video details to check out. Check a video out. Search Search for a movie. List genres. Add title Add the new title to the database. Find the ID of the film we just added. Create copies of the film. Find existing artist. Connect the artist with the film. Get genres. Sign up Add new customer details. Get ID of new customer. List all debtors Show list of customers with unpaid fines. A secondary reason for choosing this project is to broaden my knowledge in both the areas of PHP scripting and database application development. I am greatly interested in both areas and see this project as a way for me to investigate how both these areas can be combined to create robust database applications. 4.2) How this project draws from other course subjects During this project I will use many skills I have acquired during my coursework, the table below summaries this: Code Course Subject Techniques/Knowledge to be used ICT 106 Introduction to Information Technology. Document and presentation preparation techniques. ICT 110 Fundamentals of Computer Networks. Appliation deployment techniques and protocols. ICT 209 Global Networks. ICT 116 Management Information Systems. Salient components of Information Systems and how they couple with functional areas of a business. ICT 211 Information Technology and Business Computing. ICT 208 Database Concepts and Design. Relational database design techniques. ICT 214 Computer Programming. Programming constructs. COM 200 Business Communication Skills. Report writing techniques. PUB 220 Research Methods. Research techniques. ICT 313 Database Management and Administration. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of subject. ICT 314 Information Technology and Society. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. ICT 315 Software Engineering. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. ICT 316 Systems Analysis and Design. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. ICT 317 IT Project Management. This subject has not been covered yet, so this project will serve as an early investigation of the subject. 4.3) What are the expect gains from doing this project The development work will give me the opportunity to gain handy practice in a programming language. The project will give me a chance to put to use many of the techniques and concepts which I have learnt in my coursework. Database development methods and the application of formal systems development model to mention a few. Furthermore, upon the completion of the project, JJ Video Library store will have a powerful tool which they can use to store and retrieve information more efficiently. The development work will serve as the means for meeting the requirements of the B.Sc. ICTM project component. The project will enable me to improve my software development ability by developing a considerably sized software application, thus allowing me to gain valuable experience in: planning and organizing project work problem-solving systems analysis systems design programming and testing 4.4) Video rental industry background study The movie rental industry has changed drastically over the years. Previously, movie fans could only rent movies at their local movie renting store, but the birth of new technologies and movie distribution methods has changed the way the movie rental industry operates. Today, there are three major ways for movie buffs to obtain their movies: the traditional movie rental store, online movie rental services, or no-return movie rental services. While the movie rental industry is rapidly changing, movie rental stores are still very financially successful. Movie rental stores make their money through a number of different methods including membership fees, rental fees, late fees, and movie purchases. Because online movie rental services are both cheap and convenient, they are quickly becoming a strong competitor within the movie rental industry. Both options are ideal for movie rental enthusiasts who enjoy renting movies regularly but dont want to be bothered with returning the movies. One of the leaders in no-return movie rentals, Flexplay, offers superior quality and convenience over other no-return movie rental companies. Scope System Requirements 5.1) Scope The scope of the system will be limited to the core business functions (Connolly Begg, 2004: 132) of JJ Video Library, namely: To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on videos To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on members To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on video rentals To maintain (enter, update, and delete) data on staff To perform searches on videos. To perform searches on video rentals. To perform searches on members. To report on videos. To report on members. To report on video rentals. 5.2) System Requirements Usage of the database application will be restricted to two groups of users, namely the supervisor who will have unrestricted access to the system and the other staff members who will have limited access to the system. To effectively meet the needs of JJ Video Library the functionalities listed below need to be delivered. Due to the time constraints the project will only deliver the contents of this specification. The system will provide the following functionality: Log in Connect to MySQL database: username password. Locate user in employees table. Log out Terminate MySQL database connection. Check in and out Find customer show details. Show customers current rentals. Return a video on time. Return a video late pay fine. Return late video without paying. Paying outstanding fines. Locate video details to check out. Check a video out. Search Search for a movie. List genres. Add title Add the new title to the database. Find the ID of the film we just added. Create copies of the film. Find existing artist. Connect the artist with the film. Get genres. Sign up Add new customer details. Get ID of new customer. Create a user account Add a new user. Grant privileges to user. Remove a user account Get the username of the user. Remove the user from database. Revoke users privileges. Get user ID. List all debtors Show list of customers with unpaid fines. Deliverables 6.1) Development Approach For this project I plan on using the Waterfall systems development life cycle model and an object oriented development approach using UML diagramming tools to model the systems architecture. The waterfall model (Pressman, 2005: 79) will allow for a systematic, sequential approach to software development that will begin with customer-specification of requirements and will progress through planning, modeling, construction, and deployment, culminating in on-going support of the completed software. The figure below shows the proposed model. Waterfall Systems Development Model (Pressman, 2005: 79) Another reason for choosing the waterfall model (Pressman, 2005: 79) was because the requirements for the project are fixed and work is to proceed to completion in a linear manner. And if there is any change in the requirements the model will provide for feedback loops (iteration). 6.2) Artefacts The following parts of the project life cycle are part of this document. These include project initiation, project feasibility and requirements analysis. A high-level design document will be the next deliverable. After that for each stage the following deliverables will be produced at the listed phases: Detailed Design Requirements Specification User Interface Design Database Design Entity Relationship Diagram Data Dictionary Functional Design Use Case Diagram Class Diagram Sequence Diagram Deployment Diagram Build Working Application Test Test Plan Test Cases for: Acceptance Testing To get a small sample of user opinions. Performance Testing To test the speed of the system under load, in a live environment. Implementation User Guide Additional deliverables required for the B.Sc. ICTM project component that will be produced include: Final Project Report. Formal Oral Presentation Timing 7.1) Major Milestones Appendix A gives a detailed breakdown of the hours I have at my disposal to work on the project. I am convinced that I will be able to deliver within the target dates. ID Milestone Hours Start Date Target Date PID Project Plan/Requirements Analysis 75 18 January 2011 31 January 2011 HLD High-level Design Document 75 01 February 2011 14 February 2011 Development Phases DP1 Core System/Database structure 35 15 February 2011 21 February 2011 DP2 Login_logout 17 22 February 2011 24 February 2011 DP3 Check_in_out 18 25 February 2011 28 February 2011 DP4 Search 35 01 March 2011 07 March 2011 DP5 Add_title 35 08 March 2011 14 March 2011 DP6 Sign_up 35 15 March 2011 21 March 2011 DP7 Create_user_account 35 22 March 2011 28 March 2011 DP8 Remove_user_account 35 29 March 2011 04 April 2011 DP9 List_debtors 35 05 April 2011 11 April 2011 FPR Final Project Report 105 12 April 2011 02 May 2011 Total 535 18 January 2011 June 2011 Additional Information 8.1) Project Organisation The project will be conducted entirely by myself. The project supervisor will be Mr. Almasi Maguya. 8.2) Resources: The following tools will be put to use during this project: Tool Description Apache 2.2.17 Web Server. PHP 5.3.3 Scripting Language. Star UML 5.0 UML Diagramming Tool. Komodo Edit 6.0.3 Text Editor. Microsoft Project 2003 Project Management Software. MySQL Workbench 5.2.31 Database Design Tool. MySQL 5.5.8 Relational Database Management System. Adobe Photoshop CS4 Extended Graphics Editing Tool. OpenOffice.org 3.2.1 Office Suite.

Eulogy for Mother :: Eulogies Eulogy

Eulogy for Mother The Cost Death is not too high a price to pay for having lived.   Mountains never die, nor do the seas or rocks or endless sky. Through countless centuries of time, they stay eternal, deathless.   Yet they never live! If choice were there, I would not hesitate to choose mortality.   Whatever Fate demanded in return for life I’d give, for never to have seen the fertile plains nor heard the winds nor felt the warm sun on sands beneath a salty sea, not touched the hands of those I love – without these, all the gains of timelessness would not be worth a day of living and of loving; come what may.† - Dorothy N. Monroe - It is hard to give a eulogy for one’s parent.   More than the death of a classmate or sibling, the death of a parent is not only a loss, but also a reminder that we are all following an inevitable path. We are all â€Å"Outrunning Our Shadow† as her friend Fred Hill so provocatively titled his book. As Dorothy N. Monroe’s poem, printed in your program, says:   â€Å"Death is not too high a price to pay for having lived." When my father died, I was too young to participate in a meaningful way, so at some level this is my eulogy for him, too. Mother was born on November 7, 1917 in Louisville.   Her mother was an unmarried 17-year-old and Mom was put up for adoption.   That may be a surprise to you.   It was a surprise to me when I learned about it as an adult. As an infant Mom was adopted by Clyde and Maude Johnson, who named her Doris Eileen. When Mom was about ten Clyde abandoned his family, and she and her mother moved in with Maude's sister in the Port Fulton neighborhood of Jeffersonville.   My Unc and Aunt Smith became Mom's surrogate parents, and she lived with them until she married.   A few years later Maude was institutionalized at Craigmont, where she lived for the rest of her life.   There is a third marker on the cemetery lot where Mom and Dad are buried for our Grandmother Maude Johnson. Mother never talked much about this or other aspects of her life.   Nor did she want to know the details of other’s lives.   She practiced â€Å"Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell† long before it became a catch phrase.

Learning Natural Resources and Energy Essay

A Paper on the Ecosystem and on the Biodiversity General Questions – General General Questions Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper on natural resources and energy. Include the following:  · Choose a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a grassland, or a marine or freshwater aquatic ecosystem.  · Identify and discuss the effects that a growing human population may have on that ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species.  · Discuss one management practice for sustainability and conservation of natural resources in that ecosystem.  · Identify the risks and benefits of extracting or using one type of nonrenewable and one type of renewable energy resource from that ecosystem, or in areas near that ecosystem. Include at least two outside references. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. You can have a ton of fun in college, but it also involves a lot of work. Stay focused on the end result: a diploma. There will be many roadblocks along the way, and how you choose to approach them is important. Use the tips you have seen here to make college work on your behalf. This pack of SCI 256 Week 3 Learning Natural Resources and Energy Paper  contains: A Paper on the Ecosystem and on the Biodiversity General Questions – General General Questions Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper on natural resources and energy. Include the following:  · Choose a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a grassland, or a marine or freshwater aquatic ecosystem.  · Identify and discuss the effects that a growing human population may have on that ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species.  · Discuss one management practice for†¦ To download this tutorial follow the link – https://bitly.com/1oJKyIe You can have a ton of fun in college, but it also involves a lot of work. Stay focused on the end result: a diploma. There will be many roadblocks along the way, and how you choose to approach them is important. Use the tips you have seen here to make college work on your behalf. General Questions – General General Questions Write a 1,400- to 1,750-word paper on natural resources and energy. Include the following:  · Choose a specific ecosystem, such as a forest, a grassland, or a marine or freshwater aquatic ecosystem.  · Identify and discuss the effects that a growing human population may have on that ecosystem’s resources, including loss or harm to populations of wild species.  · Discuss one management practice for sustainability and conservation of natural resources in that ecosystem.  · Identify the risks and benefits of extracting or using one type of nonrenewable and one type of renewable energy resource from that ecosystem, or in areas near that ecosystem. Include at least two outside references. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia †His Life and Death

Although the confrontational style of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Gregory Nino Scalia  was widely regarded as being one of his less appealing qualities, it underscored his clear sense of right and wrong. Motivated by a strong moral compass, Scalia opposed judicial activism in all forms, favoring instead judicial restraint and a constructivist approach to the interpretation of the Constitution. Scalia stated on numerous occasions that the power of the Supreme Court is only as effective as the laws created by Congress. Scalias Early Life and Formative Years Scalia was born March 11, 1936, in Trenton, New Jersey. He was the only son of Eugene and Catherine Scalia. As a second generation American, he grew up with a strong Italian home  life and was raised Roman Catholic.   The family moved to Queens when Scalia was a child. He graduated first in his class from St. Francis Xavier, a military prep school in Manhattan. He also graduated first in his class from Georgetown University with a degree in history. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School, where he also graduated at the top of his class. His Early Career Scalias first job out of Harvard was working in commercial law for the international firm of Jones Day. He remained there from 1961 until 1967. The lure of academia drew him to become a law professor at the University of Virginia from 1967 to 1971. He was appointed general counsel  of the Office of Telecommunications under the Nixon administration in 1971, then he spent two years as chairman of the U.S. Administration Conference. Scalia joined the Ford administration in 1974, where he worked as Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel. Academia Scalia left government service upon the election of Jimmy Carter. He returned to academia in 1977 and occupied a number of academic positions until 1982, including resident scholar for the conservative American Enterprise Institute and law professor at Georgetown University Law Center, the University of Chicago School of Law, and Stanford University. He also briefly served as chairman of the American Bar Associations section on administrative law and the Conference of Section Chairs. Scalias philosophy of judicial restraint began to gather momentum when Ronald Reagan appointed him to the U.S. Court of Appeals in 1982.   Supreme Court Nomination When Chief Justice Warren Burger retired in 1986, President Reagan appointed Justice William Rehnquist to the top spot. Rehnquists appointment drew all the attention from Congress and the media, and even the Court. Many were pleased, but Democrats strongly opposed his appointment. Scalia was tapped by Reagan to fill the vacancy and he slipped through the confirmation process virtually unnoticed, floating by with a 98-0 vote. Senators Barry Goldwater and Jack Garn didnt cast votes. The vote was surprising because Scalia was far more conservative than any other Justice on the High Court at the time. Originalism Scalia was one of the most well-known Justices and was famous for his combative personality and his judicial philosophy of originalism – the idea that the Constitution should be interpreted in terms of what it meant to its original authors. He told CBS in 2008 that his interpretive philosophy is about determining what the words of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights meant to those who ratified them. Scalia maintained  that he was not a strict constructionist, however. I do not think the Constitution or any text should be interpreted either strictly or sloppily; it should be interpreted reasonably. Controversies Scalias sons, Eugene and John, worked for the firms that represented George W. Bush in the landmark case, Bush v. Gore, which determined the outcome of the 2000 presidential election. Scalia drew fire from liberals for refusing to recuse himself from the case. He was also asked but declined to recuse himself from the case of Hamden v. Rumsfeld  in 2006 because he had offered an opinion on an issue related to the case while it was still pending. Scalia had remarked that Guantanamo detainees dont have the right to be tried in federal courts.   Personal Life vs. Public Life After graduating from Georgetown University, Scalia spent a year in Europe as a student at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. He met Maureen McCarthy, a Radcliffe English student, at Cambridge. In 1960, they married in 1960 and had nine children. Scalia was fiercely protective of his familys privacy throughout his term on the High Court, but he began granting interviews in 2007 after years of refusing to do so. His sudden willingness to engage the media was due primarily to the fact that his children had all become full-grown adults. His Death   Scalia died on February 13, 2016, at a ranch resort in western Texas. He failed to appear for breakfast one morning and an employee of the ranch went to his room to check on him. Scalia was found in bed, deceased. He was known to have heart trouble, to suffer from diabetes, and he was overweight. His death was declared due to natural causes. But even this event was not without controversy when rumors began swirling that he had been murdered, particularly because an autopsy was never performed. This was at his familys behest, however  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ it had nothing to do with political intrigue.   His death incited an uproar as to which  president would have the right to appoint a replacement for him. President Obama was nearing the end of his second term in office. He nominated Judge Merrick Garland, but Senate Republicans blocked Garlands appointment. It ultimately fell to President Trump to replace Scalia. He nominated Neil Gorsuch very soon after taking office and his appointment was confirmed by the Senate on April 7, 2017, although Democrats attempted a filibuster to block it.