Biological Basis of Homosexuality an Example of the Topic Science and Technology Essays by

Biological Basis of Homosexuality There is an ongoing debate on whether homosexuality has a biological basis or not. The search is on for the genetic, chemical, neuranatomical and functional evidence that the third sex is innate and not just a choice or entirely the product of psychosocial factors. There have been several studies supporting this theory. However, they are not without their flaws and even the interpretation of the results leave room for criticism and alternative explanations. This paper aims to examine the so-called proof of the biological basis of homosexuality. Need essay sample on "Biological Basis of Homosexuality" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed The theory that homosexuality is partly genetic is based on several twin studies. It was found that there is higher concordance of sexual orientation in identical twins compared to fraternal twins (Bailey et al., 1993 as cited in Byne et al., 1994). Because identical twins have the exact DNA composition, it was hypothesized that the reason for the high concordance rates for sexual orientation is that it is directly affected by our genes. Students Frequently Tell EssayLab writers:I'm not in the mood to write my paper. Because I want to spend time with my boyfriendProfessional writers advise: Your Best Essay HelperOnline Essays For Sale Best Essay Writing Service Writing My Assignment Best Essay Writing Service There are some loopholes in this theory, however, as cited in the book Biology and Human Sexual Orientation (Byne et al., 1994). One is that the twins used in the studies were not reared apart. Hence, they may have had very similar childhood experiences, possibly causing them to have the same sexual orientation. For studies that did deal with identical twins reared apart, the fact remains that they looked alike and as such people around them may have treated them the same way which again leads them to have the same childhood experiences. Concordance rates only tell us the degree to which homosexuality is associated with genetics and not how genetics actually affect homosexuality. Furthermore, it was found that half of the identical twin sets did not have the same sexual orientation, therefore, if genetic does play a role in homosexuality, it is through its interaction with the environment and not direct (Byne et al., 1994). Researchers even went as far as identifying the chromosome responsible for homosexuality. In the controversial study of Hamer, et al. ( 1993, as cited in Rice, et al., 1999), it was claimed that the gene for male homosexuality is localized in the X chromosome, particularly in position Xq28. This is based on their analysis of chromosomes in families with more than one male homosexual sibling. Their study included an investigation on the sexual orientation of first-, second-, and third-degree relatives as well and found that there are more cases of homosexuality in the mothers side as compared to the fathers side, leading them to think that male homosexuality could be an X-linked trait. Indeed, molecular analysis revealed that there is an excess of allele sharing in the region of Xq28. These results were replicated in the study of 33 additional homosexual brothers (Hu et al., 1995 as cited in Rice et al., 1999). However, in the larger-scale study by Rice, et al. (1999), they did not fi nd the shared Xq28 marker. It is unclear why this is so since the sample size differ by only six people. Regardless of the reason, the disparity in findings warrants further investigations into the X-chromosome claim before making any conclusions. Scientists are now also linking homosexuality to androgen exposure early in the fetal development. The Prenatal Hormone Hypothesis is based on the assumption that the brain of a fetus has a potential to develop into a male or female brain depending on the amount of androgens it is exposed to inside the womb (Byne et al., 1994). The theory is that male homosexuality and female heterosexuality are a result of exposure to low levels of androgen while consequently female homosexuality and male heterosexuality are a result of high levels of androgen. The theory was derived from the observation in that female mating behavior such as lordosis can be induced in certain male mammals such as rats, ferrets, pigs, and dogs by reducing the amount of androgen during a critical phase in the early brain development (Adkins-Regan, 1988; Baum et al., 1990 as cited in Pinel, 2003). Likewise, male mating behavior such as mounting can be induced in the female counterparts when androgen levels are elevate d during this period (Adkins-Regan, 1988; Baum et al., 1990 as cited in Pinel, 2003). The main criticism of this hypothesis is that it may not be appropriate to generalize mating behaviors of animals to sexual orientation of humans. For one thing, lordosis is merely a reflex (Byne et al., 1994). Human sexual orientation is extremely complex, involving erotic responses, emotions, and self-identification. It is not just defined by the sexual position one assumes. The stand of Byne et al. (1994) is that it is unlikely that prenatal hormones affect sexual orientation as directly as they do mating behaviors in animals. However, it is also wrong to completely disregard the relevance of these mammalian studies, especially since the pattern is so consistent. Another chemical implicated in male homosexuality is the protein Alpha 1-Antitrypsin. In the experiment conducted by Deam et al. (1989 as cited in Wolfe, 1999) this compound was identified in the blood of 16.3% of the homosexual group and only 8.7% in the heterosexual group. Although there was a significant difference, the study did not explain how this protein affects ones sexual orientation. In addition, there was no way of determining whether this protein was really innate or was acquired through a homosexual lifestyle. In relation to the Prenatal Hormone Hypothesis, as previously mentioned, the theory is that exposure to androgens in the womb affects the subsequent development of the brain. Indeed, they found certain structural differences between the brain of homosexuals and heterosexuals. The fist breakthrough study was by Swaab and Hoffman (1990 as cited in Alexander, 2000). They focused on the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. It was already established that this region is sexually dimorphic and significantly larger in men compared to women. They, however, found a clear difference between homosexuals and heterosexuals as well. The region enclosing vasopressin-containing neurons was double the size in homosexual males as compared to their heterosexual counterparts. Levays (1991 as cited in ) controversial study followed soon after. His area of focus was the interstitial nucleus of the anterior hypothalamus or INAH; INAH 3 to be exact. INAH 1 was found to vary with sex but not with sexual orientation but INAH 3 varies with both. It was found that INAH 3 is more than twice as large in heterosexual men as they are in women and homosexual men. This region is said to be responsible for the generation of male typical mating behavior (Alexander, 2000). There are, however, several faults in Levays methodology and furthermore, it does not automatically mean that the INAH 3 is in anyway the cause of homosexuality. The sample size used in Levays study was small and because they were conducted on dead bodies, it was impossible to get the accurate sexual history of the subjects. In addition, most of the subjects died of AIDS, this fact in itself a major confounding variable. Testosterone is said to alter the size of INAH 3 (Alexander, 2000). AIDS may cause testicular failure, which in turn decreases the levels of testosterone in the body, thereby possibly reducing the size of INAH 3. In addition, the effects of AIDS treatments on INAH 3 were not examined. The difference in size may be a result of either the treatment or the disease itself. Also, a difference in size does not necessarily mean a difference in function or capacity. Brains of males are generally larger than females but they are not more intelligent because female brains are denser. Alexander (2000) argued that the number of cells in INAH 3 should be compared and not the size. Another area of interest is the anterior commissure. This is sexually dimorphic like the suprachiasmatic nucleus and INAH3. It was found to be larger in females and smaller in males (Pinel, 2003). The interesting thing is that the anterior commissure in homosexual males is not similar in size to that of the female nor was it intermediate between the two sexes. It is actually larger compared to both heterosexual female and heterosexual male (Allen s orientation by looking at any brain structure. As there are gender dimorphic structures in the brain, they too have found functional differences. Alexander and Sufka (1993 as cited in Alexander, 2000) compared patterns in brain activity among homosexual males, heterosexual males and females as they performed verbal, cognitive, and spatial tasks and also while making affective judgements. Activity was measured via EEG in four locations in the left and right hemispheres. They found that the homosexual males displayed greater asymmetry compared to both heterosexual sexes during the verbal, cognitive, and spatial tasks. More precisely, homosexual subjects had greater inhibition in the right hemisphere compared to the heterosexual subjects during the verbal task, and greater inhibition in the left during spatial tasks. In heterosexuals, inhibition was not as pronounced and it was in the same hemisphere for both tasks. The same asymmetry was found in homosexual males when making affective judgments, and again these were not observed in heterosexual males and females. One limitation of this study, as with most studies on the biology of homosexuality, is that they did not use lesbian subjects. In addition, activity was only measured in eight locations. If Alexander and Sufka found asymmetry in homosexual males and not in heterosexuals, the opposite is true in Reite and his colleagues (1995 as cited in Alexander, 2000) study of the M100. This auditory evoked response has also been established as a sexually dimorphic (Reite et al. 1991 as cited in Alexander, 2000). They recorded MEG M100 source location in the left and right hemispheres of nine heterosexual and nine homosexual males. In the heterosexual group, they found an auditory asymmetry in which the response was found substantially anterior on the right hemisphere. In the homosexual group, they did not find this asymmetry. Their findings suggest that there is a difference in either the structure, function, or both, of the superior temporal gyrus between homosexual and heterosexual males. The sample size, however, is too small to make such generalizations. This is the main problem with all studies investigating the biological basis of homosexuality and perhaps the greatest criticism. The evidence cannot hold up due to methodological flaws such as a small sample size or confounding variables. The view that homosexuality is partly biological is not widely accepted because the evidence is not concrete enough to support it. In terms of genetic evidence, there is no way of telling whether specific chromosomes do influence homosexuality or the concordance is a result of a common environment twins and siblings grow up in. For neuranatomic and neurendocrine differences, they have not yet determined if these are innate or acquired through a homosexual lifestyle. Furthermore, individual differences exceed the differences found between homosexual and heterosexual groups. A second criticism to the view that homosexuality has a biological basis is that sexual orientation is far too complex to be determined or directly influenced by just a few brain structures, chromosomes or hormones. This is not to say that it should be concluded that there is no biological basis for homosexuality or that the results of previous studies should be disregarded. However, researchers must always consider that psychosocial factors also play a key role in ones sexual orientation and that it is a product of the interaction between biology and the environment. This may be another nature-nurture or choice debate that has no answer. References Alexander, J. E. (2000). Biological influences on homosexuality. Psychology, Evolution & Gender, 2, 241-252. Byne, W. and Parson, B.(1994). Biology and human sexual orientation. Harvard Mental Health Letter, 10, 5. Pinel, J.P. (2003). Biopsychology (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Rice, G., C., Anderson,C., Risch, N., and Ebers, G. (1999). Male homosexuality: absence of linkage to microsatellite markers at Xq28. Science, 284, 665-667. Wolfe, C. (1999). Homosexuality and American Public Life. Dallas, TX: Spence Publishing Company.

Kandinskys Improvisation 28 What Lurks Beyond the Abstract

Kandinskys Improvisation 28 What Lurks Beyond the Abstract Abstract art has definitely shaken the world, reinventing people’s perception of what reality is (Walther, 2000); and, talking about abstract art, Kandinsky and his daring experiments should be mentioned first. By far the most famous, the most frequently researched and the most often misinterpreted, his Improvisation 28 deserves a close attention.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Kandinskys Improvisation 28: What Lurks Beyond the Abstract specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Despite the fact that the chaos depicted in the artwork is typically attributed to the horrors of the World War I, it can be assumed that the artist’s goal was to display not the pointless bloodbath that the WWI was, but the atmosphere of complete denial and total loss of hope that swung in the air since the World War I broke out. Even being a specimen of an abstract art, Kandinsky’s work still has all the properties of a traditio nal artwork. However, some of these properties have been stretched to their furthest extremes, therefore, making the painting look almost grotesque and yet managing to convey the despair that the Improvisation 28 is shot through with. For example, the line is very smooth in the composition; neither or the elements has any sharp edges or simply looks clumsy – every single line is drawn in a nonchalant yet smooth manner. Another formal element worth a discussion is the color cast. On the one hand, the work looks unusually colorful for expressing the despair and sorrow that gripped the world after the WWI. Indeed, taking a quick look at the painting is enough to see that Kandinsky’s choice of colors is very versatile. With yellow, green and blue being the focus of the picture, and a touch of the red color to mark the edges and add the impression of flickers of fire, or, perhaps, a dawning day, the picture might seem rather optimistic. However, the gloomy, almost grayish s hades that Kandinsky uses in his painting suck all the liveliness out of the picture, therefore, making one think of the hopes that used to be so daring and yet were killed so mercilessly. Hence the use of another formal element, i.e., light, stems. With a number of spots left empty on the white canvas, Kandinsky managed to keep the light out of the picture as hard as possible therefore, hinting at the probable post-apocalyptic results of the WWI for the entire humankind (Aronov, 2006). As a result, Kandinsky made a very wise use of space, cluttering the elements that are supposed to symbolize the outcomes of the WWI and leaving considerable white space at the bottom of the picture. Thus, the emptiness, which the bloodbath of the WWI resulted in, was shown to the audience.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The structure of the artwork is rather peculiar. On the one hand, there is no clear symmetry in the painting; every single element has its own unique shape and role in the artwork. However, together, these elements see, weirdly harmonic. For example, the two picture planes that the right prolonged elements split the artwork in, make the painting look especially organic. The line drawn from the upper right side of the picture into the horizon also contributes to understanding the structure of the picture better. The texture of the picture is rather standard. By using oil on canvas, Kandinsky managed to create a truly outstanding work of art. Finally, one must say a couple of words about the composition of the painting. As it has been stressed, the work is split into three parts, i.e., the cluttered left side, a more spacious right side and the horizon, which has been painted in blazing red. It seems that the aforementioned elements represent the chaos (the left side), the devastation and emptiness that the WWI has left the humankind to (the right s ide), and the unclear future (the upper right corner). As it has been stressed above, the key historical context of the Impression 28 is the concept of the World War I as one of the most, if not the most devastating and horrendous events that have ever taken place in the world history. One of the key reasons why the given artwork differs so much from the rest of the portrayals of the WWI, especially the use of smooth lines, can be explained by Kandinsky’s life experience. As Gardner and Kleiner explain, â€Å"Born in Russia, Vassily Kandinsky (1866– 1944) moved to Munich in 1896 and soon developed a spontaneous and aggressively avant-garde expressive style† (Gardner Kleiner, 2009, 386). Therefore, it can be assumed that the Slavic origin, combined with the experience in Germany and, therefore, resulting in both denial of the Nazi movement and the feeling that he was still a part of it, led to Kandinsky developing a very unusual, sharp and emotionally unstable, almost to the point where it turned into a grotesque, painting style: â€Å"Artists, Kandinsky believed, must express the spirit and their innermost feelings by orchestrating color, form, line and space† (Gardner Kleiner, 2009, 692). Improvisation 28, thus, seems the utter manifestation of the given style, Kandinsky’s most successful attempt at portraying his denial of the Nazi policy and the fear of the post-WWI world, with its devastation and the death of all hopes for further development. In some respect, however, Kandinsky’s work can be considered the product of its time. It would be wrong to claim that Kandinsky was the only artist who used the â€Å"lineless† and â€Å"shapeless† manner of painting at the beginning of the XX century. As Selz explained,Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Kandinskys Improvisation 28: What Lurks Beyond the Abstract specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The first decade of the twentieth century saw European art moving along a number of fronts in the general direction of an art without representational imagery – toward an art purely of colors, lines and shapes that bore no direct relationship to the appearance of the outside world. (Selz, n. d., 421). That being said, one must admit that there is much more to the artwork than most people see in it; the chaotic elements are supposed not to express a specific event in history, even such grandeur one, as the WWI, but to embrace something even more overwhelming, like the spirit of lost hopes that had been soaring in the air since the beginning of the XX century (Knapp, 2000). These were not the acts of violence occurring during the WWI that Vassily Kandinsky focused on, but the moods in the society that drove people to committing these acts of violence. In other words, Improvisation 28 is not supposed to express the artist’s idea about the tendencies in the society at the beginning of the XX century. The painting expresses the turmoil, the fears, the anxiety and the despair of the humankind at the beginning of the new century, making the audience experience every single emotion, which makes the painting unbearably true and amazingly grotesque at the same time. Reference List Aronov, I. (2006). Kandinsky’s quest: A study in the artist’s personal symbolism, 1866–1907. New York, NY: Peter Lang. Gardner, H. Kleiner, F. S. (2009). Gardner’s art through the ages: A concise global history. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Knapp, S. (2000). The contemporary thesaurus of search terms and synonyms: A guide for natural language computer searching. Phoenix, AZ: The Orys Press.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Selz, P. (n. d.). The aesthetic theories of Kandinsky and their relationship to the origin of non-objective painting. Retrieved from https://msu.edu/course/ha/240/selzkandinsky.pdf Walther, I. F. (2000). Art of the 20th century. Vol.1. Koln, DE: Taschen.

Unit Three Critical Discussion Blog Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unit Three Critical Discussion Blog - Assignment Example The word rendition means to carry or take something somewhere (with a slightly sinister echo of the word â€Å"render† or reduce and recycle a dead animal). The term as a whole is very abstract. There is no real nonverbal communication in the use of this term, but the body language of people who frequently use it suggests they are hiding something. As is suggested in Chapter 10, the delivery of meaning is very important: if your euphemism is as bad as this one, your body language may suggest you are being dishonest. People should be honest about what they mean. They could say something like international arrest, or extrajudicial arrest, if they want to be more ethical. As the textbook suggests, it is not ethical for members of government to try to hide the truth from citizens by using euphemisms. Another similar euphemism is Enhanced Interrogation Techniques when people mean

Human production Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human production - Assignment Example At puberty, the kiss1 gene activates GPR54 gene which then activates hypothalamus to produce GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing hormone); a hormone that stimulates pituitary gland to produce hormones that affect testicles and ovaries. In males, testosterone is produced that affects the development of testes and penis along with the development of secondary sexual characteristics. In females, estradiol is produced by ovaries and it brings about the development of reproductive system and secondary sexual characteristics. An additional effect is the onset of menarche. 6. Spermatogenesis may be divided into three phases: spermatocytogenesis which is a proliferative phase; meiosis which produced cells containing half number of chromosomes and spermiogenesis (mitosis allows division of spermatogonia and they develop into primary spermatocytes and during Meiosis 2 secondary spermatocytes are produced) in which spermatozoa are produced. Seminiferous tubules allow spermatozoa a channel to pass through. Spermiogenesis comes to an end when spermatozoa are released from sertoli cells. Androgen (testosterone) is produced by Leydig cells. 7. Sperms are produced within seminiferous tubules from where they migrate to epididymis. They are stored here until maturation. During ejaculation, the sperm travel from epididymis to vas deferens, the ampulla. At this point other secretions are added to the sperms and the mixture is then propelled towards the ejaculatory duct and then while passing through urethra prostrate gland’s secretions is added. The combination of all these products is now known as semen which takes on a milky color; a secretion that is then expelled out of the body. Uterus is made up of layers of smooth muscle and it is hollow from within. It consists of an isthmus, cervix, fundus and a body. During menstruation, the inner lining show growth of tissue; preparation of the uterus for implantation if

U4 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

U4 Discussion - Coursework Example In the case of accessing files shared, a user maybe unable to access files that they ought to access when logged on locally. This may be due to permissions which are assigned to the user or to the group of which the user is a member. The permissions given (both share permissions and file permissions) should be checked to see if there is an exception to the rule (Microsoft Support, 2006). The exception includes an explicit deny permission to a certain file or folder. Deny permissions assist in enumerating the certain tasks that can be performed by users. Sometimes it is necessary to restrict access, more so to printers. In companies it is necessary to know what is being printed on the printer network. For example in the accounts department, the settings of the printer are configured to prevent every domain user from using it. It also allows tracking of the legitimate checks that have been printed. Other situations includes when a company wants to restrict printers which use expensive supplies. In healthcare the privacy and confidentiality of information is a virtue, thus restriction to what is printed and who can print comes in handy. Printer administration can be simplified by use of printer pooling. This is a standard feature of windows 2000, XP and NT that allows an administrator to spread out printed output to several printers (pool). It enables the server to have good management of multiple printers using a single printer instance, this provides some sort of load balance and it is important for administrative purposes. 3. Although your textbook does not talk at length about printer priorities (involving multiple print queues or objects), do some research on this topic and tell how it differs from printer pooling. Under what circumstances would you want to implement printing priorities? This is different from printer priority which involves setting different virtual

Viable Cell Counting In Yeast Suspension Biology Essay

Viable Cell Counting In Yeast Suspension Biology Essay The aim of this experiment was to estimate the number of viable cells in a yeast suspension that was already provided. Estimations of the viable yeast cells were taken via two methods of plating; pour plating and spread plating, of which hot agar was used with the pour plate technique. The results that were obtained for this experiment show that overall; the spread plate method gives a higher yield of viable yeast cells compared to the total count value of 2.8 x 10^7. This experiment was conducted to estimate the number of viable cells in a yeast suspension, already provided. The definition of a viable cell, as stated in the Collins English Dictionary, 2008, p991 is capable of growth. Therefore, the definition of a viable yeast cell is a yeast cell capable of living and being able to grow. In industrial and research settings, there is a need to quantify the microbe content of microbial products. The method for doing this varies for different types of microbes. Traditionally, the first microbes to be used commercially were bacteria and yeasts. These are typically single-celled species that can be grown in natural and artificial media, and are well-suited to growth in agar gels on Petri plates. Using this method, individual cells or clumps of cells will form discrete colonies, which become visible to the naked eye as the colony grows. Counting the number of colonies provides a direct way to track the original number of discrete microbial units. A count determined this way been dubbed the number of Colony-Forming Units or CFU for short. CFUs are only applicable to single-celled microbes that can be grown on nutrient media, such as bacteria, yeasts, or spore-forming moulds. As the total count for the number of yeast cells was so vast (2.8 x 10^7) dilutions were made in order for a characteristic estimate of the total count of yeast cells to be made. Having diluted the sample enabled the human eye to count an estimate of the yeast cells. If dilutions had not been carried out, the sample of yeast cells would have been far too large and it would have been extremely time consuming and impossible to count the number of yeast cells. A haemocytometer enables for an estimate of the total number of yeast cells present. It has a known volume of chamber and area which is etched on the glass. A cell suspension is able to be above the known area. The chamber is then filled with a yeast suspension then covered with a cover slip. An average number of microbes can then be counted in the ruled area to give the number of yeast cells per cm ³. The aim of this experiment was essentially, to estimate the total number of yeast cells in a culture and to estimate the number of living (viable) yeast cells. Materials and Methods The total count of the yeast cells originally estimated by the haemocytometer was 3.8 x 10^7, however, it was later concluded that this was incorrect due to a mix up from another class. The new result for the estimated total count of the yeast cells was 2.8 x 10^7. This number was clearly too large and a series of ten fold dilutions were carried out in order to make it easier to estimate and investigate the viable yeast cells. A series of ten fold dilutions were needed as this is an important technique in identifying the viable cells. As a figure of 2.8 x 10^7 was established and it is vital that the number of colonies attained remains within the range of 30-300. So the dilution for a range of 30 300 is 1/100 (10^-2), however, it is essential that further dilutions, both above and below 1/100 are used; 1/10 (10^-1) and 1/1000 (10^-3). To make the estimation more accurate, dilutions of 10^-4, 10^-5 and 10^-6 were also used for both pour and spread plates. For full method, please refer to introduction to biology, microbiology and pharmacology practical booklet, pp 13-14. Results The results obtained for the pour plate and spread plate methods were as follow: 10^-1 10^-2 10^-3 10^-4 10^-5 10^-6 Pour plate (ml) TNTC TNTC TNTC TNTC 83 8 Spread plate (ml) TNTC TNTC TNTC 100 10 1 Key: TNTC Too numerous to count To determine the number of colony forming units (CFU) cm^-3 this calculation was used: Counts on plate x (1/dilution) x (1/volume inoculated (ml)) The calculations that were carried in order to determine the number of colony forming units (CFU) cm^-3 of the original culture for the pour plate and spread plate are shown below: Calculations for pour plate method: 83 x 1/10^-5 a 1/1 = 8.3 x 10^6 CFU, ml Calculations for spread plate method: 100 x 1/10^-4 x 1/0.1 = 1.0 x 10^7 CFU, ml The volumes inoculated for the pour and spread plate were different, the pour plate was inoculated with 1.0cm^-3 and the spread plate with 0.1micrometer. Discussion The table in the results sections shows that the values of the colonies that were counted for each of the plating techniques show good continuation, especially with the spread plate as the figures are increasing by a factor of ten each time. The figure obtained for the total count was 2.8 x 10^7, comparing this to the figure calculated for the pour plate method, 8.3 x 10^6 CFU, ml there has been a loss in the number of viable cells using this method, there has been a decrease of 1.97 x 10^7 of viable yeast cells. Comparing the total count value to the spread plate figure of 1.0 x 10^7 there was also a loss of viable yeast cells, with a loss of 1.8 x 10^7. This decrease in viable yeast cells compared to the pour plate loss is lower. The hot agar used in the pour plate technique may injure or kill sensitive cells; thus spread plates sometimes give higher counts than pour plates.(p 130, Microbiology, Seventh Edition, Joanne M. Willey et al) The above statement backs up the results of the experiment, as the spread plate technique has given a considerable higher count of viable yeast cells. Other factors that may have resulted in the smaller number of viable yeast cells in the pour plate method could have been that there is a much higher likelihood that clumps of the colonies may have formed together in portions of the plate, making it much more difficult to count. This occurs less in spread plating, as the clumps are broken up, and therefore there is a better distribution of the cells. Other factors that may have affected the results obtained for this experiment were the techniques used for the serial dilutions. With each sequential serial dilution step, there may have been transfer inaccuracies that lead to less accurate and less precise dispensing. This meant that the highest dilutions had the highest number of inaccuracies. Also, after every inoculation, the dilution must be thoroughly mixed; this was not carried during any of the dilutions, so this may have also affected the number of viable yeast cells. Finally, when doing viable counts, the higher dilution is, the more error is found in estimating the count of the original volume. For example, there were 10 colonies growing on the 10^-5 spread plate, and it was estimated that there were approximately 500000 colonies in the original suspension, but this was only an estimation to the closest hundred thousand. Likewise, with higher dilutions, such as the 10^6 on the pour plate, it was only estimated to the closest million. There were some limitations to the experiment, which may have altered the results slightly. Not having much experience in using the Gilson pipettes may have had an impact on the accuracy of the pipetting that was done during the serial dilutions.

Sarah Grimke and Frederick Douglass :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When I mention the names Sarah Grimke and Frederick Douglass what comes to mind? Abolitionists? Equal rights activists? Of course, these two individuals are making great strives to fight for what they believe in. The sad thing about it is that we don’t have enough people with the likes of these two. England abolished slavery in 1834 so how long will we go on with this inhumane cruelty toward people. Our country is in a state of denial and if we don’t wake up soon, we will all pay the price. I’m going to discuss a little bit about these two abolitionist speakers, than compare and contrast their roles of rhetoric, morality, ideas, and backgrounds. They are Sarah Grimke and Frederick Douglass. Sarah was born in 1792 and Frederick was born in 1818. These two individuals are very devoted to abolishing slavery and finding true equal rights but ironically, other than their gender and race difference, they both come from unique backgrounds. Sarah was white and born into a large wealthy family. Her father owned a plantation with slaves and Sarah grew to hate the abuse that the slaves had to endure. She was deeply religious and felt that slavery was against her moral beliefs. She speaks a lot from the bible and believes that men and women were created equal. After the death of her father she moved out of South Carolina and moved up North to pursue a role as an abolitionist and women’s rights activist. Now on the other had Frederick was born into slavery. He was living in Maryland, born to a white man unknown to him and his mother was also a slave. Frederick pursued how to read and write while being a slave but found that it was an uphill battle, because no slaves were permitted to be educated. Frederick persevered and learned to read and write but prior to his escape up North his moral was very low because being educated as a slave he states, â€Å"It had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out†(Narrative of the Life of F.D. Pg 1073 col.2). Can you imagine this; a slave that can now read and write all of a sudden wishes the opposite? It’s tough to stomach the grief that he must have felt during that time.

Mate Selection

It is not uncommon for individuals to bargain with themselves in an effort to create motivation where none exists: If I get the lawn mowed before noon, I’ll spend the rest of the day watching football; if I lose five pounds, I’ll buy that new dress.   Sometimes, when individuals bargain, it isn’t as much for motivation as it is for justification: If my boss won’t give me that raise, I’ll stop working those extra hours; I had every right to flip that guy off because he cut right in front of me. These are instances in which the bargaining is self-motivated, self-serving, and self-indulgent, and while effective and perhaps necessary, the stakes in most of these circumstances isn’t necessarily high.   After all, who’s going to know or care if a yard goes unmowed, a dress is prematurely purchased, an extra hour isn’t spent at one’s desk, or a flip-off wasn’t honestly deserved?   However, when it comes to choosing a mate in a relationship, the role played by bargaining carries a much higher stake, and the consequences of poor judgment while bargaining and/or poor bargaining tactics can be devastating. The degree to which bargaining occurs during the mate selection process varies from person to person as do the focal point(s) of the bargain; however, there are a number of areas that are particularly intriguing. â€Å"The Necessities and Luxuries of Mate Preferences: Testing the Tradeoffs† (2002)  focuses on the degree to which â€Å"women and men first ensure sufficient levels of necessities in  potential mates before considering many other characteristics† (Li, Bailey, Kenrick, &  Linsenmeier).   Factors such as a potential mate’s attractiveness and social status are essential  according to Li, et al. (2002); however, because their research placed greater emphasis on  realistic economic potential as opposed to that of previous research (which allowed for  speculation regarding â€Å"how to spend imaginary lottery winnings†), a pattern that had not  previously emerged became clear: the sexes do not always agree on what constitutes a  Ã¢â‚¬Å"necessity† versus what constitutes a â€Å"luxury† (Li, et al., 2002). American social construct is partially responsible for this difference.   Men are far more likely to have access to â€Å"status, power, and resources†; therefore, these are deemed â€Å"necessary† traits by women who seek a mate.   On the other hand, men view women as the means by which offspring can be produced, and based on this, they see physical attractiveness and age as â€Å"necessary† factors in mate selection (Li, et al., 2002).   Obviously, this requires a great degree of bargaining as the two subjects are (at least initially) focused on absolutely different traits while evaluating a potential mate Where Li, et al. conclude that much of the bargaining that occurs in mate selection is based on the differences between what men and women consider â€Å"necessary,† â€Å"Gender Socialization: How Bargaining Power Shapes Social Norms and Political Attitudes,† (2005) examines the social dynamics that might be responsible for creating the basis for the differences between the sexes regarding what is â€Å"necessary† (Iversen & Rosenbluth). Iversen and Rosenbluth (2005) focus on the issue of patriarchy â€Å"and explore its effects on female social, economic, and political status† in order to evaluate â€Å"mate choice preferences between agricultural, industrial, and post-industrial societies.†Ã‚   This research was an intriguing undertaking, and what it revealed was the effect that social structure had on the bargaining that took place in mate selection. Social settings that required brawn (i.e. the agricultural and industrial periods) required women willingly bargain to find a mate who was physically capable of performing basic household and wage-earning duties (Iverson & Rosenbluth).   Women often bargained for a mate with physical strength by giving up living arrangements, locations, and circumstances.   Because women of the agricultural and industrial periods were not physically capable of performing some tasks and legally barred from others, there was little choice but for them to put aside almost everything but sheer physical strength when undertaking bargaining during mate selection (Iversen & Rosenbluth). When the post-industrial period was examined, two significant differences were seen.   First, because the need for physical prowess to survive at home and at work had diminished, women were far less likely to bargain away everything simply to secure a strong man.   â€Å"Once employment opportunities for women [began to approach] those of men in quantity and quality, socialization [began] to shift away from [women’s] ‘playing the marriage market’ † (Iversen & Rosenbluth). No longer would women willingly pack up and move hundreds of miles away from all family and all friends, nor would they automatically settle for a man of lower social and economic status in order to marry brawn—women could consider themselves wage-earners and be more choosey when it came to potential mates (Iversen & Rosenbluth). The second phenomenon that was revealed was â€Å"the declining importance of virginity† that factored into the bargaining (Iversen & Rosenbluth).   Where women of the agricultural and industrial periods had to secure their virginity absolutely, women of the post-industrial period were not as likely to be dismissed as ineligible brides by the men of the era simply because they were no longer virgins.   This degree of personal control had a freeing effect on women who began to see themselves as capable of autonomy (Iversen & Rosenbluth). Much of this seems to indicate a breaking away on the part of women, and Iversen and Rosenbluth (2005) conclude that â€Å"while mate preferences in agrarian societies seemed to reflect an inevitable female resignation to their subordination, modern mate preferences are more egalitarian, and the gender gap in policy preferences suggest that many women are hoping to use the democratic state to make them more egalitarian still.† Given the number of times a day an individual is likely to bargain with him/herself over routine actions or mundane decisions, it seems reasonable that a great deal of bargaining go into something as significant as the selection of one’s mate.   Research seems to indicate that like other acknowledged differences that exist between the sexes, the degree to which certain factors influence bargaining with and selection of a potential mate may depend on the gender of the evaluator. Further, it seems that as time passes and the more independent women become, the more the evaluative items regarding what is â€Å"necessary† may change in the minds of both males and females. References Iversen, T. & Rosenbluth, F.   (2005).   Gender socialization: How bargaining power shapes social norms and political attitudes.   Retrieved October 22, 2006. Li, N. P., Bailey, J. M., Kenrick, D. T., & Linsenmeier, J. A. W.   (2002).   The necessities and luxuries of mate preferences: Testing and tradeoffs.   Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(6). Retrieved October 22, 2006               

Manhattan Project And The A-Bomb Essays - Manhattan Project

Manhattan Project And The A-Bomb Essays - Manhattan Project Manhattan Project and the A-Bomb Just before the beginning of World War II, Albert Einstein wrote a letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Urged by Hungarian-born physicists Leo Szilard, Eugene Wingner, and Edward Teller, Einstein told Roosevelt about Nazi German efforts to purify Uranium-235 which might be used to build an atomic bomb. Shortly after that the United States Government began work on the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project was the code name for the United States effort to develop the atomic bomb before the Germans did. "The first successful experiments in splitting a uranium atom had been carried out in the autumn of 1938 at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin"(Groueff 9) just after Einstein wrote his letter. So the race was on. Major General Wilhelm D. Styer called the Manhattan Project "the most important job in the war . . . an all-out effort to build an atomic bomb."(Groueff 5) It turned out to be the biggest development in warfare and science's biggest development this century. The most complicated issue to be addressed by the scientists working on the Manhattan Project was "the production of ample amounts of 'enriched' uranium to sustain a chain reaction."(Outlaw 2) At the time, Uranium-235 was hard to extract. Of the Uranium ore mined, only about 1/500 th of it ended up as Uranium metal. Of the Uranium metal, "the fissionable isotope of Uranium (Uranium- 235) is relatively rare, occurring in Uranium at a ratio of 1 to 139."(Szasz 15) Separating the one part Uranium-235 from the 139 parts Uranium-238 proved to be a challenge. "No ordinary chemical extraction could separate the two isotopes. Only mechanical methods could effectively separate U-235 from U-238."(2) Scientists at Columbia University solved this difficult problem. A "massive enrichment laboratory/plant"(Outlaw 2) was built at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. H. C. Urey, his associates, and colleagues at Columbia University designed a system that "worked on the principle of gaseous diffusion."(2) After this process was completed, "Ernest O. Lawrence (inventor of the Cyclotron) at the University of California in Berkeley implemented a process involving magnetic separation of the two isotopes."(2) Finally, a gas centrifuge was used to further separate the Uranium-235 from the Uranium-238. The Uranium-238 is forced to the bottom because it had more mass than the Uranium-235. "In this manner uranium-235 was enriched from its normal 0.7% to weapons grade of more than 90%."(Grolier 5) This Uranium was then transported to "the Los Alamos, N. Mex., laboratory headed by J. Robert Oppenheimer."(Grolier 5) "Oppenheimer was the major force behind the Manhattan Project. He literally ran the show and saw to it that all of the great minds working on this project made their brainstorms work. He oversaw the entire project from its conception to its completion."(Outlaw 3) Once the purified Uranium reached New Mexico, it was made into the components of a gun-type atomic weapon. "Two pieces of U-235, individually not large enough to sustain a chain reaction, were brought together rapidly in a gun barrel to form a supercritical mass that exploded ineztaneously."(Grolier 5) "It was originally nicknamed 'Thin Man'(after Roosevelt, but later renamed 'Little Boy' (for nobody) when technical changes shortened the proposed gun barrel."(Szasz 25) The scientists were so confident that the gun-type atomic bomb would work "no test was conducted, and it was first employed in military action over Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6, 1945."(Grolier 5) Before the Uranium-235 "Little Boy" bomb had been developed to the "point of seeming assured of success,"(Grolier 5) another bomb was proposed. The Uranium-238 that had been earlier ruled out as an option was being looked at. It could capture a free neutron without fissioning and become Uranium-239. "But the Uranium-239 thus produced is unstable (radioactive) and decays first to neptunium-239 and then to plutonium-239."(Grolier 5) This proved to be useful because the newly created plutonium-239 is fissionable and it can "be separated from uranium by chemical techniques,"(6) which would be far simpler than the physical processes to separate the Uranium-235 from the Uranium-238. Once again the University of Chicago, under Enrico Fermi's direction built the first reactor. "This led to the construction of five large reactors at Hanford, Wash., where U-238 was irradiated with neutrons and transmuted into plutonium."(6)

EE Cummings essays

EE Cummings essays E. E. Cummings, who was born in 1894 and died in 1962, wrote many poems with unconventional punctuation and capitalization, and unusual line, word, and even letter placements - namely, ideograms. Cummings' most difficult form of prose is probably the ideogram; it is extremely terse and it combines both visual and auditory elements. There may be sounds or characters on the page that cannot be verbalized or cannot convey the same message if pronounced and not read. Four of Cummings' poems - l(a, mortals), !blac, and swi( - illustrate the ideogram form quite well. Cummings utilizes unique syntax in these poems in order to convey messages visually as well as verbally. Although one may think of l(a as a poem of sadness and loneliness, Cummings probably did not intend that. This poem is about individuality - oneness (Kid 200-1). The theme of oneness can be derived from the numerous instances and forms of the number '1' throughout the poem. First, 'l(a' contains both the number 1 and the singular indefinite article, 'a'; the second line contains the French singular definite article, 'le'; 'll' on the fifth line represents two ones; 'one' on the 7th line spells the number out; the 8th line, 'l', isolates the number; and 'iness', the last line, can mean "the state of being I" - that is, individuality - or "oneness", deriving the "one" from the lowercase roman numeral 'i' (200). Cummings could have simplified this poem drastically ("a leaf falls:/loneliness"), and still conveyed the same verbal message, but he has altered the normal syntax in order that each line should show a 'one' and highlight the theme of oneness. In fact, the whole poem is shaped like a '1' (200). The shape of the poem can also be seen as the path of a falling leaf; the poem drifts down, flipping and altering pairs of letters like a falling leaf gliding, back and forth, down to the grou...

Commanding Heights Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commanding Heights - Movie Review Example To add on that, consider this scenario, a documentary of cancer that is funded by manufacturers of cigarette, will you believe it fully? Then what you think about an economics documentary that is sponsored by large world corporations? From that, it can be concluded that although Commanding Heights is a PBS production, it is not objective and neutral. This can be demonstrated clearly as the first thing seen are the advertisements from the program corporate sponsors including British Petroleum and the federal express. On further audit, it is crystal clear that one of the original founders of the documentary was Enron even after the company scandalous fall. This illustrates Commanding Heights is substantially a piece of propaganda for the world mega-corporation as the financiers of the program have a major interest in advocating for pro-deregulation economic issues and Pro- big business. Â  This series encompasses frustrating duality: it is informative on issues of the contemporary politics and history but apparently, the bias not only on the choice of facts to present and not to present but also in the interpretation. Episode one, (the battle of ideas), examines two substantial competing ideologies about the economy of the world. Firstly it looks at the analogy of the free market as propagated by an economics theorist called Hayek. On the other hand, it looks at the concept of `planned economy’ as advocated by Keynes. It tracks how the ideological climate transitioned from one to the other over a century with a corresponding impact on the policies of the government. The synopsis of the specific opinion of these two critical thinkers is the most crucial part of this episode while the evaluation of the advantages of these positions is the least important.

Head-O produced by Fatih Akin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Head-O produced by Fatih Akin - Essay Example That night, in the streets all alone and with no one else to turn to, she decides she does not want to live anymore and baits some men to beat her up. She is stabbed by one of them and then they leave her all out there to die, but to her luck she does not die though it is not clear how she manages to recover from both the rape and assault. After serving his jail term, Cahit is out again. Determined to find Sibel again, he sets on for Istanbul where Sibel had gone to live with her cousin Selma. The cousin refuses to disclose to Cahit where Sibel lives but informs him of her being in a long-term relationship and her having a daughter. Cahit wants to talk to Sibel and is waiting in a hotel for a call from Sibel. When she finally calls, he tries to convince her to elope with him, something she finally agrees to. Unfortunately, she does not show up at the appointed date for reasons not disclosed. Eventually, Cahit beaten by life takes on a bus, probably headed to his place of Birth, Mersi n. Theme (main idea) The main theme brought forward by Head-On is the conflict of cultures between individuals of Turkish origin and their daily lives in Germany. Both characters are of Turkish origin but they live in Germany; Hamburg where the setting of the movie was made. Sibel’s family represents the conventional conservative Turkish culture. Sibel, having grown up within a liberal German culture yearns to break away from the yoke of her family restrictions. She is more open-minded and libel about her sexuality and that is why she can afford to engage in one-night stands. Cahit on the other hand is torn between both cultures. He has an element of both German and Turkish cultures and he is not yet decided completely which way... The main theme brought forward by Head-On is the conflict of cultures between individuals of Turkish origin and their daily lives in Germany. Both characters are of Turkish origin but they live in Germany; Hamburg where the setting of the movie was made. Sibel’s family represents the conventional conservative Turkish culture. Sibel, having grown up within a liberal German culture yearns to break away from the yoke of her family restrictions. She is more open-minded and libel about her sexuality and that is why she can afford to engage in one-night stands. Cahit on the other hand is torn between both cultures. He has an element of both German and Turkish cultures and he is not yet decided completely which way to go. This is the reason why he was reluctant to engage in a marriage of convenience in the first place and even after the marriage, he was in a relationship with a single partner, though on-again and off-again. This could also be the reason why he was enraged with Sibelà ¢â‚¬â„¢s previous partner and the eventual killing.The cities have also been carefully selected to effectively carry message home. Hamburg, the place where the movie is set, represents a multi-cultured population where people from various citizenry and cultures converge. The increased Turkish population could be traced to the 17th and 18th century the period during which there was an attempt to expand the Ottoman Empire to the North Balkan territories leaving a trail of Muslim Turks from the army.