Analysis of Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem

Survival of the Sickest, a book written by Dr. Sharon Moalem with Jonathan Prince, is an analysis on evolution that questions the reasonings behind survival and creation. It explains how many genes are passed down through generations and proves why they increase a species’ chance of surviving and reproducing. In the introduction, the author confirms … Read more

Terrestrial animals excrete mostly uric acid, aquatic animal excrete mostly ammonia

Abstract This study investigated the uric acid and ammonia excretion rates in both crickets (terrestrial insect) and cricket organs (hindgut, midgut, and malphigian tubules) as well as the excretion rates in mosquito larva (aquatic insect). After all 5 (hindgut, midgut, malphigian tubules, cricket, and mosquito larva) were suspended in water, they underwent an ammonia and … Read more

AAA+ protein function

Introduction Persistent environmental stress conditions, such as high temperature, pH, and nutritional limitations can lead to the accumulation of unfolded and damaged protein aggregates in the cell that may have a derogatory effect on cell viability (Oldfield & Dunker 2014)). Bacteria have developed a wide range of mechanisms to sense and maintain protein homeostasis, employing … Read more

The Boys from Brazil / cloning / epigenetics

Q1. Describe the experiment devised by Dr Josef Mengele Prior to the commencement of the film, Hitler allowed Dr. Josef Mengele, an infamous Auschwitz doctor, to take half a litre of his blood and a cutting from his ribs which he permitted Mengele to use in producing clones. In the 1960s, Mengele had secluded several … Read more

Classes of silicone and their uses

The term silicone represents a large family of polymers that range from low viscosity fluids, to viscous gums, to cross-linked elastomers and hard resins. Their unique chemical and physical properties have made silicones important ingredients. It is best known for their aesthetic properties, these versatile materials improve the performance of many cosmetics, sunscreens and skin … Read more

Miscellaneous biology terms explained

Ecosystems: An ecosystem is the space where living organisms interact with each-other and the non-living environments around them, creating a system. Physical surroundings, living things and non-living things the 3 main factors of an ecosystem. A habitat is the place where an organism lives. A habitat provides all basic requirements for the organism’s survival: food, … Read more

Membranes homework

PROBLEM 1 Given: source: Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Pg. 290, Table 7.2.1 Assumption: Membrane is operated at a steady state system/operation Small stage cut which means the feed’s pressure is equal to the retentate’s pressure. Calculations: Formulas: source: Introduction to Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Pg. 293-300 Binary mixture mass balance: Using these equations … Read more

Theories of dinosaur extinction

Dinosaurs appeared in the Middle to Late Triassic, quickly rose to dominance, evolved to colossal size, reigned the Earth for over 160 million years, and diversified into over 1,000 species worldwide. However, the last non-avian dinosaur species disappeared from the fossil record approximately 65 million years ago. The Cretaceous-Tertiary Boundary (KTB) mass extinction occurred 65 … Read more

Impact of environmental changes on phytophagous insects

Since phytophagous insects, or “plant-eating” insects, have different species or different populations of the same species that are often specific to a particular host plant species, a change in the availability of a particular host plant or the introduction of a new host plant can lead to a shift in the host plant that is … Read more

Mutations are the ultimate source of evolution

Evolution is a relatively old concept but is still significant today, underlying most biological theory. It can be broadly defined as a change over time, or in biological terms as a descent with modification from shared ancestors. There are four main driving forces of evolution – natural selection, gene flow, genetic drift and mutation. Natural … Read more

Raman Spectroscopy

Examination and identification with current tests are prone to false-positives, do not test for all fluids simultaneously and can be destructive to the sample. Further, distinguishing the location or a more specific identity of the body fluid such as menstrual blood or venous blood, can give probative value for the case at hand (Fleming and … Read more

Ehether we can violate Bell’s inequality

In 1964, physicist John Bell proposed that quantum entanglement could be demonstrated by separating the particles at a great enough distance that any correlating effect on both particles could not possibly be caused by local environmental factors. These were called the Bell Test experiments. For these experiments Bell derived an inequality. If this inequality is … Read more

Photosynthesis – emission of oxygen

Photosynthesis is the process where light that comes from the sun is converted into chemical energy in plants. During photosynthesis, light energy provided by the sun, water, and carbon dioxide are converted into the products sugar, water, and oxygen. Oxygen is released as a byproduct of a water molecule splitting to provide an electron. Oxygen … Read more

Microbiology and Safety of ogi, a Nigerian Fermented Cereal Porrigde; A Review

Abstract Ogi is a widely consumed breakfast cereal in Nigeria and other West African countries. It plays an important role in the nutrition and economy of many of the populace, especially among the under-privileged. This paper evaluates the production of ogi from different cereals, which comprise maize (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and millet (Penisetum … Read more