Organizational Issues and Trends Questions Essay

Organizational Issues and Trends Questions - Essay Example Most employees perceive orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l politics Ð °s one of the most importÐ °nt fÐ °ctors which support positive climÐ °te Ð °nd morÐ °le. This dynÐ °mic interrelÐ °tionship provides one with the Ð °bility to tÐ °lk to oneself in terms of the community to which one belongs Ð °nd lÐ °y upon oneself the responsibilities thÐ °t belong to the community. OrgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l politics involves Ð °ll importÐ °nt issues which help the society Ð °nd the orgÐ °nizÐ °tion to sÐ °ve nÐ °turÐ °l environment tÐ °king into Ð °ccount morÐ °l duties Ð °nd responsibilities for current Ð °nd future generÐ °tions. This politics cÐ °n be interpreted Ð °s Ð ° philosophy of the industry Ð °nd its morÐ °l guide. OrgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l politics helps mÐ °nÐ °gement to creÐ °te positive Ð °ttitudes Ð °nd strong vÐ °lues, increÐ °se productivity Ð °nd improve performÐ °nce (Certo and Certo 2005). 2. MÐ °nÐ °gement of stress, Ð °n integrÐ °l pÐ °rt of orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l behÐ °vior, hÐ °s Ð °ssumed Ð ° vitÐ °l strÐ °tegic role Ð °s orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l Ð °ttempt to compete through people. The compÐ °ny creÐ °tes Ð ° competitive Ð °dvÐ °ntÐ °ge when it possesses or develops humÐ °n resources thÐ °t Ð °re psychologicÐ °lly strong, Ð °nd orgÐ °nized. My orgÐ °nizÐ °tion uses different techniques to help employees get out of stress. The most common techniques Ð °re identifying Ð °nd Ð °nÐ °lyzing the cÐ °uses of stress, etc. Ð  speciÐ °l Ð °ttention is pÐ °id to the seculÐ °r Ð °pproÐ °ch to stress mÐ °nÐ °gement. This Ð °pproÐ °ch is bÐ °sed on understÐ °nding the meÐ °ning Ð °nd purpose of live. In the field of orgÐ °nizÐ °tionÐ °l behÐ °vior, the seculÐ °r Ð °pproÐ °ch helps to understÐ °nd significÐ °nce of the work Ð °nd personÐ °l vÐ °lue. Using this Ð °pproÐ °ch, employees cÐ °n Ð °void stressful situÐ °tions, or better to sÐ °y, they chÐ °nge their Ð °ttitude towÐ °rds unpleÐ °sÐ °nt events Ð °t the work plÐ °ce, Ð °nd leÐ °rn how to reÐ °ct to externÐ °l chÐ °llenges. If Ð °n employee hÐ °s strong personÐ °l beliefs it helps him to

The Cost of Justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Cost of Justice - Essay Example (Collins English Dictionary2011) Defining cost answers the question what is the cost of justice? Cost is defined as something that is not free. If something has a value it can be bought. In terms of being bought, can justice be bought? Justice is something that is supposed to be free to everyone. Everyone deserves the right to justice. In America justice does not live up to its definition. Justice can be bought for a cost. The cost can be money, freedom, discipline, or losing something. Many states offer justice for a cost. Justice can be very expensive when dealing on a statewide level. The cost is great for states wanting to keep justice free and well disciplined. The cost for justice in most states can be very expensive. The state of Virginia spends a great deal of funds on different expenditures. These expenditures can range anywhere from $10.00 to tens of thousands of dollars. justice may have out of pocket expenses. Some seeking justice have no way of paying and are required to seek justice from the state. Although that justice may be free to the individual, it is not free to the state or federal. Justice comes from somewhere at a specific cost. To make sure justice is served, states like the state of Virginia have costs. In 2005, â€Å"the average prisoner in a Virginia prison costs $31,200 for the year.† (Stephan.) If there are 500 prisoners, the costs for one year are well over ten million dollars. That is a lot of money to spend on justice for one year. That amount is only for prison expenditures. There is much other state expenditure that provides justice. Justice does come at other costs. Punishing others and sentencing them to prison is only one way to provide justice at a cost. Health care for corrections has an even bigger costs then keeping a prisoner. The state of Virginia, â€Å"spends over 4,333 million in corrections healthcare costs†. The costs for corrections are huge. After looking over some of the

Hunting and dave Essay Example for Free

Hunting and dave Essay Kutchers Sporting Camp was built in 2009, In Sebec Maine. Dave Kutcher, and his father took hunting trips to Maine traditionally for several years. David , and his father decided they liked it so much that they wanted to build there own hunting camp. Thus, the founding of Kutchers Hunting Camp. The hunting camp provide a guided hunt for each seasonal hunting. This includes: Bear, dear, Duck, Moose, and muzzle loading. The camp ground has 400 acres of private land to hunt on, and 300 accessible acres. There are five cabins. Each cabin could sleep eight people; equipped with it’s own bathroom, and kitchen. Each meal was provided by the staff in the dining area. Breakfast was served at 4:00am, lunch at 11:00am, and dinner or â€Å"supper† at 6:00 pm. Kutchers Sporting Camp’s, was designed in a way to ensure that each person had a comfortable and enjoyable stay. Dave Kutcher ran into some trust issues with his original manager. When the hunting season was over, he went back to his home in New Hampshire. He left the responsibilities of his place into the hand of the wrong person. When he returned he found sixty pot plants growing a mile into his hunting grounds. The building also needed several repairs, from parties that were thrown there. Devastated , and enraged he fired his manager. I was bartending at Wildwoods, when I met Dave and his wife Lorraine. Completely oblivious to whom they were, I treated them with kindness and respect, as I would any costumer. I brought them everything they needed , and engaged in friendly conversation. Wildwoods was packed that night. Chatter, music and just all together noise filled the air. I have , and always had a strong work ethic; So it was normal to me, to pick up the slack on a busy night. Even though I was assigned to just bartend, I was taking out food, taking orders, bussing tables, and cooking. With all this going on, I would still manage to be attentive to my costumers at the bar. When things slowed down, I brought Dave and his wife Lorraine their bill. Lorraine looked up at me as if she was watching a really interesting YouTube video, then she said â€Å"holy cow women, I get tired watching you work†. Then Dave added â€Å"where do you get your work ethic? † feeling comfortable enough with them, after a few hours of serving them drinks, and exchanging jokes, I playfully responded â€Å" oh you know, I do lots of coke†. They instantly laughed then Dave said â€Å"would you like to work for me? † â€Å"Doing what? † , I asked. Then Dave began to tell me -in detail- about his business and the disaster with his pervious manager. what he was looking for in a worker, and the position. When Dave was done explaining, I responded by saying , â€Å"I don’t know, I’ve never held a position with that many responsibilities before†. when I was done explaining all the reasons why I was not fit for the job, Dave smiled and said â€Å"trust me you could handle yourself just fine. † â€Å"plus you’ll make about 1,300 a week† â€Å"were talking green. † He added. Still hesitant, but intrigued greatly by the comment on my weekly earnings there I said â€Å"maybe , that’s sound like a great opportunity , but I just wouldn’t want to mess up. † Lorraine cut in by saying â€Å"why don’t you come by the lodge and just watch for a day, see if you like it then let us know†. We exchanged numbers, and they gave me directions to the lodge. I got back to work, and on they’re way out they shouted to me at the bar, and said† we better see you tomorrow and bring some of that coke, you’ll need it. â€Å" I laughed and told them to have a good night. The next day I got in my car, and drove over Sebec. Sebec is about thirty minutes form where I lived. When I got to Kutchers’, Dave and Lorraine were out side surrounded by about ten or fifteen hunters in bright orange and camouflage outfits. Each of the hunters were equipped with their own riffle. To me looked like a tiny militia gearing up for battle with nature. As I got out of my car, Lorraine separated herself from the group and came up to me and said, â€Å" hey girlie, were glad you came, trust me you’ll do just fine here. † She then yelled to Dave and told him she would be taking me inside for a â€Å"briefing†. She lead me up the stairs to the lodge ,and all I can remember thinking was†¦ wow, if MTV did a north words expose’, this place would be featured. Everything in the lodge was beautiful. Cherry wood finishing all around , all the light fixtures were in different variety’s of antlers. , several genuine leather black seats –which would eventually be know as the fancy chairs- were carefully placed in a square formation, in the foyer. The smell of fire wood and pine filled the air. Lorraine and I made our way to the foyer by the fire. This must be what the other side  looks like. Lorraine Informed me that Dave would be joining us shortly. He had to take the hunters to there quadrants- designated hunting ground- for their afternoon hunt. Lorraine then began to tell me the specifics of my job, or â€Å"jobs† to be correct. I would be in charge of : setting up the cabin rotation chart, incoming client’s , out going client’s, meal coordination, cleaning, inventory, answering phones, payroll for my assistant, hiring an assistant, cooking, costumers needs, and â€Å"most importantly keeping Dave on track† Lorraine added with a laugh. Lorraine was the stand in manager for the time being , but she had to leave to go back to New Hampshire . Dave is as ex-military man, however, he maintained a business savvy facade. He was a very intellectually gifted man, but not self sufficient by any means. His wife Loraine’s’ main concern was leaving him alone. Dave could not cook, clean, or organize well what-so-ever. My boss Dave Kutcher was defiantly my definition of a â€Å"classical male†. He believe women belonged in the kitchen and Men belonged at work. So he could never find these duties â€Å"fitting† for a male. After casual conversation I found myself committing to the job. When Lorraine left everything was up to me, and my assistant. I hired my best friend- Alyssa Gray- to work with me there. Working at Kutcher’s involved staying at the lodge at all times. Literally, I had to live in the staff room. It was a 24/7 job. I woke up at four every morning and worked myself to the last minute of the day. At first everything seemed like a jumble. I had a very long list of things to do each day, and there never seemed to be enough time. My days consisted of the following: Have breakfast cooked and set on table by 4:30 am. Clean up breakfast, check with Dave on the coordinates of each hunter, recorded each hunters locations on the board , re charge dead hand-held communication devices lodge detail-vacuum, dust mop, windows, bathrooms, laundry. Clean: Dave’s room , staff room, kitchen walk way, man cave. check inventory, go shopping for groceries , at 11:00 am cook lunch/clean lunch. cabin rotation- Clean cabin, and restock them. Cook dinner/clean dinner. Briefing with dave, Sleep then wake up and do it again. It was a long three months, but I managed. At one point it became second nature and I was ahead of my own game. I never thought I had the organization skills, or the professionalism to run a place like Kutchers Sporting Camps. This place taught me so much about myself, that I never knew. I have never exposed to this type of demand In a work place. If I never experienced Kutchers’ sporting camp, I would never know just how efficient I can be. This was the culture experience of a life time. Not only did I get to learn management skills or what people did when they hunted, I got to learn how to adapt to what a situation demands. Being able to adapt to what a situation demands a skill that I believe will be useful in many different aspects of my life.

Cell-cell Interaction in Embryo Development

Cell-cell Interaction in Embryo Development The formation of vulva depends upon a second round of cell-cell interaction. The anchor cell (located in the gonad) and six precursor cells (located in the skin adjacent to the gonad) are involved in this interaction. The precursor cells are collectively called Pn.p cells, which contains cells named as P3.p to P8.p. The fate of these cells is determined by its position relative to the anchor cell. The developmental pathways of these cells are presented in Fig.11.8. During third larval stage, the lin-3 gene is activated in the anchor cell, and produces the signal protein LIN-3, which is related to vertebrate epidermal growth factor (EGF). The precursor cells express a receptor encoded by let-23 gene, which is homologous to the vertebrate EGF receptor. The binding of LIN-3 protein and LET-23 receptor, trigger a series of intracellular events that determines whether the precursor cells will form the primary vulval precursor cell or secondary vulval cells. Mutant let-23 gene sends no signal and thus Pn.p cells cannot act, and vulva is not formed. Usually, P6.p cell, the closest cell to the anchor cell, receives the strongest signal initiated by LIN-3 binding to LET-23. Expression of the Vulvaless (Vul) gene (a mutant phenotype) in P6.p is activated by this signal, and then divides three times to produce vulva cells. The P5.p and P7.p, the two neighbouring cells, receives lower amount of signal, and divide asymmetrically to form additional vulva cells. Thereafter, a third level of cell-cell interaction occurs, in which the primary vulval cell P6.p sends a signal that activates lin-12 gene in P5.p and P7.p cells. This signal prevents these cells from adopting the division pattern of the primary cell. Thus, cells in which both Vul and lin-12 are active cannot become primary vulva cells. On the other hand, P3.p, P4.p, and P8.p cells do not receive any signal from the anchor cell, but the Multivulva (Muv) gene is expressed. Muv gene product represses the expression of Vul gene and they develop as skin cells. Thus three levels of cell-cell interactions are involved in the developmental pathway leading to vulva formation in the nematode C. elegans. CELL-CELL INTERACTION IN DEVELOPMENT Cell-cell interaction is an important phenomenon in the development of the embryo in eukaryotic organisms. Animals use a number of signalling pathway to regulate development after organogenesis. Signal networks establish anterior-posterior polarity and body axis, coordinate pattern formation, and direct the differentiation of tissues and organs. One of the widely studied cell-cell interaction is Notch signalling pathway, named after the Drosophila mutants that were used to identify components of this pathway. The Notch gene encodes a transmembrane signal receptor (Fig.11.9). The signal itself is a transmembrane protein called â€Å"Delta†, and encoded by the gene Delta. The Notch signal system works only between adjacent cells. First the â€Å"Delta† protein binds to the Notch receptor, which triggers cleaving of the cytoplasmic tail of the Notch protein and then moves to the nucleus where it binds to a protein encoded by the Su(H) (suppressor of Hairless) gene. Following this a set of genes becomes activated that controls a specific developmental pathway directing cell fate. One of the roles of the Notch signal system is to specify the fate of equivalent cells in a population. Thus action of Notch signalling system may send signal to two neighbouring cells that are developmentally equivalent, towards different developmental pathways. Four members of the Notch family (Notch 1 to Notch 4) have been identified in humans. Several human developmental disorders have been related to mutations in these genes. These include: alagille syndrome (AGS), spondylocostal dysostosis (SD), and lymphoblastic leukemia. STEM CELLS AND DEVELOPMENT Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are capable to differentiate into different types of specialized cells. Stem cells are normally found in two main sources: in embryos which are at blastocyst stage of embryological development (embryonic stem cells), and in adult tissues (adult stem cells). These cells are generally characterized by their potential to differentiate into different cell types, for example muscle, blood, skin, bone etc. Human embryo that is in the blastocyst phase of development (4-5 days old) is the excellent source of embryonic stem cells. Formation of single cell zygote through fusion of male sperm with female’s egg is the beginning of sexual reproduction process. This is followed by a series of mitotic divisions in a single cell zygote which leads to the formation of a cell mass containing approximately 12-16 cells. This is known as blastocyst before it is implanted in uterus (4-6 days old). Blastocyst can be differentiated into an inner cell mass (embryoblast) and an outer cell mass (trophoblast). Trophoblast becomes the part of placenta and cells of embryoblast differentiate into all the structures of an adult organism. This embryoblast is the source of embryonic stem cells which are totipotent. During normal pregnancy, the blastocyst stage of embryo continues by the end of the tenth week of gestation. When embryonic stem cells are extracted from the blastocyst stage and placed onto a culture medium (a nutrient-rich broth) contained in culture vessels, they divide and replicate, but fail to differentiate. This happens, as necessary stimulation to differentiate (in the in vivo conditions) is lacking in the in-vitro conditions. However, they maintain their ability to differentiate into different type of cells in human body. Adult or somatic stem cells present throughout the body inside different type of tissues even after embryonic development. Tissues like, bone marrow, blood, blood vessels, brain, skeleton muscle, skin and the liver are good source of adult stem cells. These cells remain in resting state for years until activated by disease or tissue injury. Adult stem cells have property of division and self renewal which enables them to regenerate entire organ. Earlier it was believed that adult stem cells have the potential to differentiate only to the cell type of their originating tissue or organ, but according to some recent evidence they can differentiate to other cell types as well. Embryonic stem cells are easier to grow under in-vitro conditions as compared to adult stem cells. For culturing of stem cells, they are extracted from either adult cells or from dividing zygotes. Once isolated, they can be cultured in culture dishes containing culture broth under controlled conditions. The nutrient broth allows them to divide and replicate, but prohibits them from further specializing or differentiating. Once proliferation of stem cells starts successfully, they are subcultured on fresh medium in order to enhance the growth rate. The collection of healthy, dividing, and undifferentiated stem cells, after first subculture, is called as stem cell line. Once under control, these stem cell lines can be stimulated to differentiate into specialized cells, a process known as directed differentiation. Based on their potential to differentiate into other types of cells, stem cells are classified into the following categories. Totipotent: those cells which are able to differentiate into all possible cell types. Example, few cells which are obtained through initial divisions of the zygote. Pluripotent: those cells which are able differentiate into almost all cell types. Example, embryonic stem cells which are derived from the endodermal, mesodermal, and ectodermal layers of blastocyst. Multipotent: those cells which are able to differentiate into closely related family of cells. Example, hematopoietic stem cells that has the potential to form red/white blood cells and platelets. Oligopotent: those cells which are able to differentiate into a few cells. Example, lymphoid and myeloid stem cells. Unipotent: those cells which are able to produce cells of their own type, but have the property of self-renewal. Example, adult mouse stem cell. For identification of stem cells, it is important to note that they are undifferentiated and capable of self-renewal. These two parameters are normally checked through laboratory tests for identification of stem cells. Bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are tested by transplanting these cells to an individual from which HSCs are removed. The production of new blood and immune cells in that individual indicates the self renewal potency of stem cells. Colonogenic assay (a laboratory procedure) is also used to test the potency of stem cells. Routine examination of chromosomal can also be done to check whether the cells are healthy and undifferentiated. Sometime spontaneous or induced differentiation of embryonic stem cells under cell culture conditions indicates their pluripotent nature. Other tests include administration of stem cells into an immunosupressed mouse and observe it for the formation of a teratoma, which is a benign tumour containing a mixture of differentiated cells. Applications of Stem Cells It is important to note that every cell and tissue in the body of an individual is develop and differentiate from initial few stem cells which form during early stages of embryological development. Therefore, embryonic stem cell can be induced to differentiate into any other type of cells. Due to this regeneration potential, stem cells have been used by researchers to regenerate damaged tissues and organs under the right conditions. Usually damaged organs are replaced by healthy organs donated by someone. But the demand far exceeds the supply of organs. Particular type of tissue or organ could potentially be developed from stem cells, if directed to differentiate in a certain way. For example, stem cells that present just beneath the skin tissue have been used to regenerate new skin tissue and then grafted on to burn victims successfully. Another potential application is replacement of cells and tissue for treatment of brain disease like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. If the damaged tissue can be replenished by specialized tissue derived from stem cells such diseases can be treated for recovery. In the near future it may be possible to transplant healthy heart cells developed in a laboratory from stem cells into the patients with heart disease, thereby repopulating the heart with healthy tissue. Similarly it may be possible to replace damaged pancreatic cells by insulin producing cells derived from stem cell, to treat type l diabetic patients. For the treatment of diseases like leukemia, sickle cell anemia and other immunodeficiencies, adult hematopoietic stem cells found in bone marrow and blood have been used. All type of blood cells (erythrocytes as well as leukocytes) can be developed from HSC. However it is difficult to isolate hematopoietic stem cells from the bone marrow. Alternatively, hematopoietic cells are also found in the umbilical cord and placenta, from which they can be isolated easily. Realizing its potential use, umbilical cord blood banks have been established to store these powerful cells for their future use. Therapeutic cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique involves replacement of genetic material from a somatic cell (say from skin cell) into an unfertilized egg cell in order to develop patient specific stem cells. In this procedure, since sperms are not involved fertilization does not occur. Foetus is also not involved because the groups of cells from which the stem cells are obtained are not implanted in the uterus. Stem cells which are developed through SCNT technique have more potential for therapeutic applications. The chances of rejection by patient’s body are less because their genetic makeup is identical to patient’s genetic makeup. Through SCNT, disease specific cell lines can be developed which are used for in-vitro studies to understand the mechanism of disease development and mode of action of certain drugs which may be used to treat these diseases. Stem cell research is also useful for understanding development of human after formation of fertilized zygote. Undifferentiated stem cells eventually differentiate partly because of turning on or off of particular gene(s). Thus research on stem cell may help to clarify the role of specific genes that play in determining how specialized cells and tissues are formed. Stem cell research is also being pursued to develop new drugs. Healthy human tissues which are developed through stem cells can be used to evaluate the effect of new drug rather than using human volunteers. Table.11.1. Segmentation gene loci in Drosophila â€Å"Gap† genes â€Å"Pair-role† genes â€Å"Segment polarity† genes Giant Ever skipped Armadillo Huckebein Fushi tarazu Cubitis interruptus Hunchback Hairy Disheveled Kruppel Odd paired Engrailed Knirps Odd skipped Fused Tailless Runt Gooseberry Sloppy paired Hedgehog Naked Paired Patched Wingless Figure Captions Fig. 11.1. Early stages of embryonic development in Drosophila. A cascade of gene activation sets up theDrosophilabody plan. Thematernal-effect genes, named as bicoid and nanos, are active during oogenesis. The products of these genes are found in the egg at the time of fertilization, and form morphogen gradients. These proteins function as transcription factors that regulate the expression of gap genes. The gap genes are responsible for the differentiation of anterior-posterior axis on embryo along its length. Proteins which are encoded by gap genes also function as transcription factors and regulate the expression of the pair-rule genes. Thepair-rule genesare responsible for differentiation of pairs of segments on embryo. Transcription factors which are encoded by pair-rule genes regulate the expression of thesegment polarity genes. The expression of segment polarity genes leads the development of anterior/posterior axis of each segment. The gap genes, pair-rule genes, and segment polarity genes are collectively involved in segment patterning hence they are known as segmentation genes. Fig. 11.2. The hierarchy of genes involved in establishing the segmented body plan in Drosophila. Gene products from the maternal genes regulate the expression of the first three groups of zygotic genes (gap, pair-rule, and segment polarity, collectively called the segmentation genes), which in turn control the expression of the homeotic genes. Fig. 11.3. Progressive restriction of cell fate during development in Drosophila. Fig. 11.4. Overlapping of regions containing two different gene products can generate new patterns of gene expression. Transcription factors A and B are present in overlapping region 3, of expression. If both the transcription factors must bind to the promoter of a target gene to trigger expression, the gene will be active only in cells containing both factors (most likely in the zone of overlap). There shall be no transcription in individually in the region 1 and 2. Fig. 11.5. Cell arrangement in the floral meristem. (a) The four concentric rings, or whorls, labeled 1-4, influenced by genes A, B, and C in the manner shown, give rise to the sepals, petals, stamens and carpels, respectively, (b) The arrangement of these organs in the mature flower. Fig. 11.6. A truncated cell lineage chart for C. elegans, showing early divisions and the tissues and organs that eventually result. Each vertical line represents a cell division, and horizontal lines connect the two cells produced. Fig. 11.7. An adult Caenorhabditis elegans hermaphrodite. Fig. 11.8. Cell lineage determination in C. elegans vulva formation. Fig. 11.9. Components of the Notch signalling pathway in Drosophila.

Statistical Reasoning in Everyday Life :: essays research papers

Statistical Reasoning in Everyday Life This chapter taught me the importance of understanding statistical data and how to evaluate it with common sense. Almost everyday we are subjected to statistical data in newspapers and on TV. My usual reaction was to accept those statistics as being valid. Which I think is a fair assessment for most people. However, reading this chapter opens my eyes to the fact that statistical data can be very misleading. It shows how data can be skewed to support a certain group’s agenda. Although most statistical data presented may not seem to affect us personally in our daily lives, it can however have an impact. For example, statistics can influence the way people vote on certain issues. In evaluating statistical data one thing to consider is the measure that is used. By understanding the different statistical measurement tools and how they differ from one another, it is possible to judge whether a statistical graph can be accepted at face value. A good example is using the mean to depict averages. This was demonstrated by using the mean as a measure of determining the distribution of incomes. The mean income depicted was, $70,000 per year. At face value, it looks as though the sample population enjoys a rather high income. However, upon seeing individual salaries, it becomes obvious that only a few salaries are responsible for the high average income as depicted by the mean. The majority of the salaries were well under the $70,000 average. Therefore, the mean distributed income of $70,000 was at best misleading. By also looking at the median and mode measures of the income distributions, one has a clearer picture of the actual income distributions. Because this data contained extreme values, a standard deviation curve would have given better representation of salary distribution and would have highlighted the salaries at the high level and how they skewed the mean value. Another important concept outlined in this chapter is the correlation coefficient. The importance of this is being able to understand to what extent two things actually relate to each other. By having this awareness, we are better able to understand and function in the world we live in. I learned some key factors in making the determination whether statistical data is reliable: Consider the population sample and if it is representative of the inferences that the data is claiming.

Three Solutions to Deforestation Essay -- environment green global war

Three Solutions to Deforestation   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If a tree falls in the woods and no one's there to hear it, does it make a sound? Or rather, if a tree falls in the woods and no one's there to hear it, does anybody even care? This saying epitomizes the world's current view on deforestation, most notably in the Brazilian Amazon, which is known as 'The Lungs of the Earth.' Deforestation is defined as the long-term or permanent removal of forest cover, usually accompanied by burning, which is then converted to a non-forested land use. Deforestation doesn't just affect the indigenous people living in the Amazon or on a grander scale, the people of South America; rather, it arguably affects the entire world. More than 12 percent of the 2 million square miles of Brazilian Amazonian rainforest, which produces one-fifth of the earth's oxygen, has been deforested and converted to farmland or grazing for cattle (www.rainforest.org). This may not sound like that large of a problem, but as a result of deforestation, Brazil now accounts for nearly 10 percent of the world's greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere. "Tropical rainforests once covered more than 14 percent of the Earth?s land area? they now amount to less than 6 percent" (Tropical Rainforest Coalition, 1996). Basically, if something isn't done soon, then the world won't have enough oxygen to support itself.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Some would argue that there is nothing that they can do or that they?re only one person. But one person can save one tree, and that?s one more tree that won?t be cut down. Some also argue that there are no solutions to deforestation when in reality there are; people just don?t realize that they?re there. Here is a list of three possible solutions that could curtail any more careless logging of the Brazilian Amazon. First, people around the world could ?buy? acres of rainforest. The Adopt-An-Acre Program, which was started by The Nature Conservancy and Earth's Birthday Project in 1990, has combined their efforts to educate children all over the country about the conservation of rainforests. Because of their diligent efforts, $5 million has been raised and 150,000 acres of rainforest saved (www.savenature.org). These facts alone show that the adoption program works, but the downside is that many underprivileged children and schools won?t be able to finance this kind of endeavor. Many people also d... ...n Amazon had been deforested. By 2000 almost 15 percent had been destroyed. This means a forest area the size of France was lost in only thirty years? (www.greenpeace.org). This illustrates how dangerous and threatening deforestation to the Brazilian Amazon truly is. Until the United States and the rest of the world comes to their senses and realizes that in their haste for wood products they?re, in reality, reducing the amount of breathable oxygen that they have, then by the year 2050, that same oxygen will be cut by one-fifth. Deforestation is the second-hand smoke of the world. Within fifty years, how breathable will our air really be? Unless people everywhere start to realize how detrimental deforestation really is, then we will leave nothing to the next generation except a tainted, asphyxiated planet. Works Cited Effects and Solutions to Deforestation. www.greenpeace.org. 3 Nov. 2001. Effects of Deforestation in Brazil. www.rainforest.org. 2 Nov. 2001. Revington, John. ?Stopping Tropical Deforestation.? New Renaissance. November 2000.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  November 3, 2001 http://www.ru.org/stopping-deforestation.htm. Adopt-An-Acre Program. www.savenature.org. 1 Nov. 2001.

Outline of Carbon and Molecular Diversity of Life

Chapter 4 Carbon and the Molecular Diversity of Life Lecture Outline Overview: Carbon – The Backbone of Biological Molecules * Although cells are 70–95% water, the rest consists mostly of carbon-based compounds. * Carbon is unparalleled in its ability to form large, complex, and diverse molecules. * Carbon accounts for the diversity of biological molecules and has made possible the great diversity of living things. * Proteins, DNA, carbohydrates, and other molecules that distinguish living matter from inorganic material are all composed of carbon atoms bonded to each other and to atoms of other elements. These other elements commonly include hydrogen (H), oxygen (O), nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and phosphorus (P). (CHONPS) Concept 4. 1 Organic chemistry is the study of carbon compounds * The study of carbon compounds, organic chemistry, deals with any compound with carbon (organic compounds). *Organic compounds can range from simple molecules, such as CO2 or CH4, to compl ex molecules such as proteins, which may weigh more than 100,000 daltons. * The overall percentages of the major elements of life (C, H, O, N, S, and P) are quite uniform from one organism to another. However, because of carbon’s versatility, these few elements can be combined to build an inexhaustible variety of organic molecules. * Variations in organic molecules can distinguish even between individuals of a single species. * The science of organic chemistry began in attempts to purify and improve the yield of products obtained from other organisms. * Initially, chemists learned to synthesize simple compounds in the laboratory, but had no success with more complex compounds.The Swedish chemist Jons Jacob Berzelius was the first to make a distinction between organic compounds that seemed to arise only in living organisms and inorganic compounds that were found in the nonliving world. * This led early organic chemists to propose vitalism, the belief that physical and chemical laws did not apply to living things. * Support for vitalism began to wane as organic chemists learned to synthesize complex organic compounds in the laboratory. * In the early 1800s, the German chemist Friedrich Wohler and his students were able to synthesize urea from totally inorganic materials.In 1953, Stanley Miller at the University of Chicago set up a laboratory simulation of chemical conditions on the primitive Earth and demonstrated the spontaneous synthesis of organic compounds. * Such spontaneous synthesis of organic compounds may have been an early stage in the origin of life. * Organic chemists finally rejected vitalism and embraced mechanism, accepting that the same physical and chemical laws govern all natural phenomena including the processes of life. * Organic chemistry was redefined as the study of carbon compounds regardless of their origin. Organisms do produce the majority of organic compounds. * The laws of chemistry apply to inorganic and organic compounds ali ke. Concept 4. 2 Carbon atoms can form diverse molecules by bonding to four other atoms *With a total of 6 electrons, a carbon atom has 2 in the first electron shell and 4 in the second shell. * Carbon has little tendency to form ionic bonds by losing or gaining 4 electrons to complete its valence shell. * Instead, carbon usually completes its valence shell by sharing electrons with other atoms in four covalent bonds. This tetravalence by carbon makes large, complex molecules possible. * When carbon forms covalent bonds with four other atoms, they are arranged at the corners of an imaginary tetrahedron with bond angles of 109. 5Â °. * In molecules with multiple carbons, every carbon bonded to four other atoms has a tetrahedral shape. * However, when two carbon atoms are joined by a double bond, all bonds around those carbons are in the same plane and have a flat, three-dimensional structure. * The three-dimensional shape of an organic molecule determines its function. The electron configuration of carbon makes it capable of forming covalent bonds with many different elements. * The valences of carbon and its partners can be viewed as the building code that governs the architecture of organic molecules. *In carbon dioxide, one carbon atom forms two double bonds with two different oxygen atoms. * In the structural formula, O=C=O, each line represents a pair of shared electrons. This arrangement completes the valence shells of all atoms in the molecule. * While CO2 can be classified as either organic or inorganic, its importance to the living world is clear. CO2 is the source of carbon for all organic molecules found in organisms. It is usually fixed into organic molecules by the process of photosynthesis. * Urea, CO(NH2)2, is another simple organic molecule in which each atom forms covalent bonds to complete its valence shell. Variation in carbon skeletons contributes to the diversity of organic molecules. * Carbon chains form the skeletons of most organic mole cules. * The skeletons vary in length and may be straight, branched, or arranged in closed rings. *The carbon skeletons may include double bonds. Atoms of other elements can be bonded to the atoms of the carbon skeleton. * Hydrocarbons are organic molecules that consist of only carbon and hydrogen atoms. * Hydrocarbons are the major component of petroleum, a fossil fuel that consists of the partially decomposed remains of organisms that lived millions of years ago. * Fats are biological molecules that have long hydrocarbon tails attached to a nonhydrocarbon component. * Petroleum and fat are hydrophobic compounds that cannot dissolve in water because of their many nonpolar carbon-to-hydrogen bonds. Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula but different structures and, therefore, different chemical properties. * For example, butane and isobutane have the same molecular formula, C4H10, but butane has a straight skeleton and isobutane has a branched skeleton. * The tw o butanes are structural isomers, molecules that have the same molecular formula but differ in the covalent arrangement of atoms. * Geometric isomers are compounds with the same covalent partnerships that differ in the spatial arrangement of atoms around a carbon–carbon double bond. The double bond does not allow atoms to rotate freely around the bond axis. *The biochemistry of vision involves a light-induced change in the structure of rhodopsin in the retina from one geometric isomer to another. * Enantiomers are molecules that are mirror images of each other. * Enantiomers are possible when four different atoms or groups of atoms are bonded to a carbon. * In this case, the four groups can be arranged in space in two different ways that are mirror images. * They are like left-handed and right-handed versions of the molecule. * Usually one is biologically active, while the other is inactive. Even subtle structural differences in two enantiomers have important functional signi ficance because of emergent properties from specific arrangements of atoms. * One enantiomer of the drug thalidomide reduced morning sickness, the desired effect, but the other isomer caused severe birth defects. *The L-dopa isomer is an effective treatment of Parkinson’s disease, but the D-dopa isomer is inactive. Concept 4. 3 Functional groups are the parts of molecules involved in chemical reactions * The components of organic molecules that are most commonly involved in chemical reactions are known as functional groups. If we consider hydrocarbons to be the simplest organic molecules, we can view functional groups as attachments that replace one or more of the hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon skeleton of the hydrocarbon. * Each functional group behaves consistently from one organic molecule to another. * The number and arrangement of functional groups help give each molecule its unique properties. * As an example, the basic structure of testosterone (a male sex hormone ) and estradiol (a female sex hormone) is the same. *Both are steroids with four fused carbon rings, but they differ in the functional groups attached to the rings. These functional groups interact with different targets in the body. * There are six functional groups that are most important to the chemistry of life: hydroxyl, carbonyl, carboxyl, amino, sulfhydryl, and phosphate groups. * All are hydrophilic and increase the solubility of organic compounds in water. * In a hydroxyl group (—OH), a hydrogen atom forms a polar covalent bond with an oxygen atom, which forms a polar covalent bond to the carbon skeleton. * Because of these polar covalent bonds, hydroxyl groups increase the solubility of organic molecules. Organic compounds with hydroxyl groups are alcohols, and their names typically end in -ol. * A carbonyl group (>CO) consists of an oxygen atom joined to the carbon skeleton by a double bond.* If the carbonyl group is on the end of the skeleton, the compound is a n aldehyde. * If the carbonyl group is within the carbon skeleton, then the compound is a ketone. * Isomers with aldehydes versus ketones have different properties. * A carboxyl group (—COOH) consists of a carbon atom with a double bond to an oxygen atom and a single bond to the oxygen of a hydroxyl group. * Compounds with carboxyl groups are carboxylic acids. A carboxyl group acts as an acid because the combined electronegativities of the two adjacent oxygen atoms increase the dissociation of hydrogen as an ion (H+). * An amino group (—NH2) consists of a nitrogen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms and the carbon skeleton. * Organic compounds with amino groups are amines. * The amino group acts as a base because the amino group can pick up a hydrogen ion (H+) from the solution. * Amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, have amino and carboxyl groups. *A sulfhydryl group (—SH) consists of a sulfur atom bonded to a hydrogen atom and to the backbone. This grou p resembles a hydroxyl group in shape. * Organic molecules with sulfhydryl groups are thiols. * Two sulfhydryl groups can interact to help stabilize the structure of proteins. * A phosphate group (—OPO32? ) consists of a phosphorus atom bound to four oxygen atoms (three with single bonds and one with a double bond). * A phosphate group connects to the carbon backbone via one of its oxygen atoms. * Phosphate groups are anions with two negative charges, as two protons have dissociated from the oxygen atoms. * One function of phosphate groups is to transfer energy between organic molecules.Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, is the primary energy-transferring molecule in living cells. These are the chemical elements of life. * Living matter consists mainly of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, with smaller amounts of sulfur and phosphorus. * These elements are linked by strong covalent bonds. * Carbon, with its four covalent bonds, is the basic building block in molecular archi tecture. * The great diversity of organic molecules with their special properties emerges from the unique arrangement of the carbon skeleton and the functional groups attached to the skeleton.