Cycles and patterns in the biosphere Research Paper

Cycles and patterns in the biosphere - Research Paper Example The biosphere provides a room where a cycle of biological process like decomposition, nitrogen fixing, photosynthesis of plants and respiration takes place. The ingredients also cycle in a way that they the biosphere allows the living things to take and also return them to the other spheres in a pragmatic way ( Smil &Vaclav 23-58). There are several factors that determine the biosphere which include; water, shelter, light and nutrients. Climatic conditions that vary from different places on the earth also influence the biosphere in a big way. These factors influence the cycles that take place upon the earth like the oxygen cycle, nitrogen cycle, geochemical cycles, biochemical cycle and the photosynthesis process. These processes ensure there is life on earth, for instance, when plants release the oxygen and the animals breathe in oxygen and release back the carbon dioxide that is used for photosynthesis. As a result of the biosphere cycles and process, the earth has not been altered and therefore provide a friendly environment for all living things ( Jorgensen, Sven and Brian 3-20). Oxygen Cycle Its the biochemical process that shows the movement of oxygen from the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere which is done through the process of photosynthesis ( Alcamo & I E 234-260). As the hydrologic cycle enables movement of water from the sky down to the earth, oxygen also is cycled in a certain pattern in the environment. In the process of photosynthesis, plants use the sunlight energy to convert carbon dioxide, then water into carbohydrates and oxygen. Plants play integral key role in the oxygen cycle because they breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen; photosynthesis includes plants that grow in the land areas as well as the water and oceans. There is also a small percentage of oxygen that is produced from photolysis when energy through radiation breaks down the water in the atmosphere and nitrogen oxide into atomic elements, including more compone nts hence leaving some oxygen in the air. Animals breathe in the oxygen produced from the plants in the process of photosynthesis and breath out carbon dioxide through the process of respiration. The carbon dioxide breathed out by animals is therefore released into the atmosphere hence forming the continuous cycle of oxygen. In the process, plants during the day, they use the oxygen to break down the carbohydrates; same as the animals break down the carbohydrates during respiration. For the rate of metabolism to be maintained, plants do absorb oxygen from the air and give carbon dioxide to the air like the animals do. Plants produce a lot of oxygen during the day as compared to the night because of availability of sunlight, although in times whereby plants consume a lot of oxygen during the night, can lead to low oxygen levels in marine areas. Carbon dioxide is also released into the atmosphere when organism decay and bacteria consume oxygen through decay mechanism and process. The cycling process of oxygen also takes a place between the biosphere and lithosphere when the marine biosphere creates calcium carbonate element that contains oxygen. As ( Harman& Rebecca 50-100) points out, the biosphere extracts nutrients from the rock elements which enables a release of oxygen into the atmosphere and that the ozone layer has been created in the stratosphere due to the oxygen that is

SMOKING AS A HEART DISEASE FACTOR Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

SMOKING AS A HEART DISEASE FACTOR - Essay Example A direct link has been identified between lung cancer and tobacco smoking, as well as other links to respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and emphysema, and to coronary heart diseases (Pocket Dictionary of Biology 1999.) Several clinical trials support these findings as well (Kunz1, Pechlaner, Ho, & Pfister 2005). Smoking increases the risk of developing heart disease and is the leading cause of premature and preventable deaths in the United States alone (Cohen 1999). Smoking is a major risk factor for developing heart disease as it indirectly affects how the heart works and creates an imbalance in the cardiovascular system. For example, smoking causes emphysema, where the lungs lose their elasticity and the individual is often left short of breath. One of the heart's functions is to deliver oxygen, so the reduced surface area in the lungs results in an increased demand for oxygen by the lungs and other muscular organs and tissue. As a result of this increased demand, the heart has to work harder to compensate for this imbalance. If this happens over a long period of time, the heart muscles will weaken and/or change (e.g. heart enlargement, hardening of arteries, fatty deposits) and combined with other risk factors, will lead to heart disease. N The following points summarise the ways in which smoking affects the cardiovascular system. Smoking increases the levels of carbon monoxide which is a poisonous gas. In the long term this gas contributes to the damaged lining of blood vessels and artery hardening (Black 1992). Smoking raises blood levels of fibrinogen which is a clotting agent that causes blood platelets to stick together, increasing the risk of blood clots and blockages in the vascular system (Black 1992). Nicotine raises blood pressure and the heart rate which results in the heart working harder. It also constricts the coronary arteries which results in less supply of blood and oxygen to the heart (Black 1992). However, it is important to be aware of the nature of the various forms of heart disease, as this will increase our understanding of how smoking directly affects the working of the heart and the cardiovascular system. Heart Disease Heart disease consists of a variety of diseases that directly affect the workings of the heart. Arteriosclerotic disease is a result of the occurrence of fatty deposits inside the coronary arteries and blood vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle. When the blood supply from these vessels is slowed down or ceases, the individual will most probably experience angina or a heart attack. High blood pressure occurs when the heart encounters a higher resistance in the blood vessels outside the heart. This results in the enlargement of the heart and thickening of the heart muscle. (Cohen 1992) These factors contribute to reduced efficiency in the cardiovascular system as the heart now requires more oxygen to function and strains its muscle. It also speeds up the process of atherosclerosis by driving blood fat and cholesterol into the blood vessel walls increasing the risk of a heart attack or stroke. Heart failure occurs when the heart becomes excessively stiff or fatigued from worki ng too hard, either because it must pump against too strong a resistance or because there has been a loss of heart

Martha Stewart and her Insider Trading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Martha Stewart and her Insider Trading - Essay Example The professionals at Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia generate a broad compilation of ‘how to’ articles, books, television programs, newspaper columns, radio sections and products relating to the eight core content areas all through the four business section. Publishing is Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's largest business section that accounted for US $182.6 million of total revenues for 2002. It includes magazines such as Martha Stewart Living and Martha Stewart Weddings, nearly 40 Martha Stewart books, the ask Martha newspaper column and radio show, and a music library of compilation CDs. The Television section accounted for US $ 26.7 million of total revenues for 2002, where it now offers around 30 opportunities every week for viewers to watch Martha Stewart programming. Kmart plays a huge role in Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's merchandising section. In 1987, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia and Kmart created a partnership that has been extremely beneficial for both companies. Sales of Martha Stewart merchandise in Kmart stores have reportedly been in excess of US $5 billion since the beginning of the partnership. (Louria, 2) In 2001, Kmart sold US $1.5 billion worth of Martha Stewart Everyday house wares, and those licensing fees a ccounted for almost 25% of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia's profits. But since Kmart filed for bankruptcy on January 22, 2001, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia finds its fastest growing section - merchandising - in jeopardy. Kmart has increasingly lost ground to competitors such as Wal-Mart and Target due to ill-advised price-cutting strategies and a mismanaged supply chain. It has already closed the doors of 250 to 350 of 2,100 stores and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has taken quite a hit. ... It has already closed the doors of 250 to 350 of 2,100 stores and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has taken quite a hit. In many ways, the IPO for Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc. has thus far been the high watermark for both the organization and its principal stockholder, Martha Stewart. It was Martha's singular good fate-as well as bad fate-to go public with her stock offering at nearly the top of the greatest bull market in American history. This timing meant that while she immediately became a billionaire on paper, the stock would likely drift down with the rest of the market, so that, financially speaking at least, she had no where to go but down as well. Not only has she so far been unable to hold on to the initial phenomenal gains from the IPO itself, but also there have come to be other-and more troublesome-questions clouding the organization's future. One question had been hovering over the organization from the day it went public: What would happen to the shares if Martha herself-who held more of them than anyone else-were to meet an untimely end It was the same question that some investors had tossed out regularly during the IPO road show. (Louria, 3) Now that the stock was trading publicly, it was no longer a matter of mere theoretical concern: More than a billion dollars of stock market wealth hung on the ability of the organization's chairman to bolt from bed each morning and begin pursuing one of the most demanding schedules of any public figure on earth. And there was another problem that abruptly moved from the realm of the theoretical to the real: Would Martha's organization be able to survive looming problems besetting its most lucrative business partner, Kmart Corp. The entire matter became real, immediate, and suddenly

To what extent were ancient historians concerned to achieve a high Essay

To what extent were ancient historians concerned to achieve a high standard of objectivity in the production of their narratives - Essay Example Many a scholar has commented that even if objectivity is achieved by a historian, such objectivity always remains confined within the narration of the facts that are presented sequentially. According to (RÃ ¼sen, 2), the best definition of history must include the sense and meaning within the expression of time in the past, present and future. The connectivity of these aspects of time utilizes the main mental form of presentation that narration offers. Narration gives past, present and future some meaning to human life by relating experience to expectation. It is therefore correct to state narratives as the form in which history is stored in human minds and assists them to orientate themselves in temporal change. Objectivity in historical narratives has been analyzed to act as a yardstick of validity, integrity and truth in narratives. The main purpose of narrative objectivity can be said to be the linking impact of historical occurrences and the cumulative complement that each part of history gives to the other. In ancient historical narratives, there was lack of linkage of historical ideas from different writers and time. Objectivity was lacking due to the fact that there was no platform to refer one’s work from pre-existing similar ideas. Many inconsistencies were identified in ancient narratives when comparisons of such uniformed texts were done. Later, ancient historical narratives adopted the truth claim of connecting history to valid explanations of events. The validity of the majority of ancient texts is highly questionable, partly due to the fact that the literacy levels were limited. Majority of ancient historical texts were primary sources since the authors were the first to generate and write on the topics. Modern historical narration has however adopted a more literature perspective in offering validity to events and occurrences. Almost every topic in history has been explored and the relevant information backed up in form of databases.

Analysis of a play Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of a play - Essay Example Loman is portrayed as a representative of a middle class American who suffered with insecure material existence and isolation. Analyzing the theme, plot, structure, characterization and style of Miller’s Death of a Salesman, one can observe the plight of middle-class people in a capitalist society. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman describes the trials and tribulations of modern American middle-class people. . Themes like isolation, reality versus illusion, and failure of American success myth, insecure family relations and the evilness of capitalism are successfully depicted in Miller’s play Death of a Salesman. Miller portrays the real life of a typical American middleclass man Willy Loman and his family, who bestows the most part of his life in a private company. Loman tries to drive the family with his maximum facility. Unfortunately, he cannot satisfy his wife Linda and his two sons Biff and Happy. Literary critics have identified the fact that the themes of failure of American success myth and reality versus illusion play a vital role in Miller’s Death of a salesman. The central character in the play, Willy Loman, fails to comprehend the real pulse of the society. Dramatist succeeds to direct the readers to think that Loman is a total failure in his personal life and the same failure leads to his disastrous death at the end of the play. As Harold Bloom comments; â€Å"This tragedy, according to Miller, is the crisis and the reality of American life† (Bloom 44). As a follower of socialist ideologies Arthur Miller harshly criticizes the evilness of capitalism through the pathetic end of his hero Willy Loman. At the end of the play Willy Loman commits suicide in the expectation that his death will be really helpful for his family. He was aware of the fact that after his death Biff will get his father’s insurance money, twenty five thousand pound by which he can enrich his business. Miller reminds the reader horribl e reality of the modern competing capitalist world that offers the value of twenty five thousand pound for a human life and his lifelong service. Loman believes in capitalist ideologies and material existence so that he acts as self-centered. In a conscious effort, Loman forces others to admit that he is an ideal family man. Loman is highly conscious about his son’s misbehavior and his failure as a businessman. It is significant for a reader to comprehend the fact that Loman always fails to advice his son Biff because, he is responsible for his son’s fall. It is merely accidental that Biff became the victim of his Father’s illegal relationship with a prostitute. Therefore, Biff’s unhealthy behavior haunts Loman like horrible nightmare. Miller’s characters are powerful and reader can see a true personality and soul in these characters. Author exposes the protagonist Willy Loman as a symbol of American middle-class people who fail to maintain a struc tured life during the depression era. One can see that Miller’s personal experiences during the depression period have a great influence on his hero Willy Loman. Capitalist ideologies make Willy a man of self possessive and self-centered nature. This self- possessive nature always prevents him to admit his faults. As such, he would scold his sons for trifles in an attempt to hide his own faults. His wife Linda

Final exam Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Final exam - Assignment Example Corresponding to these four objectives of the Council of Trent, the council came up with the following decrees; firstly, the council issued a decree instructing and guiding the bishops of the Catholic Church. Secondly, the council issued a decree on the interpretation of the Scriptures, thirdly, the council issued a decree prohibiting corruption in the Church, and finally, the council of Trent issued a decree on faith and works. After the council of Trent, Pope Sixtus V created a congregation of the council, a bureau of the Roman Curia, mandated to issue authoritative interpretation of the decrees of the Council of Trent. This therefore is how Pope Sixtus V represented the new Catholicism after the Council of Trent. Question 2: The Jesuits. Jesuits are also known as, The Society of Jesus, is a male congregation founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola in the year 1540. St. Ignatius founded the Jesuit congregation in collaboration with St. Francis saviour, and blessed Peter Faber (The History of the Jesuits, web). The Jesuits professes the three standard vows of Chastity, Poverty, and Obedience; Jesuits also take the fourth vow, i.e. the vow of obedience to the Pope. Jesuit congregation was founded to defend the Catholic Church from the heretical teachings of the protestant churches. Jesuits therefore were the soldiers of Christ because they dedicated their live to study, so as to be able to effectively defend the teachings of the Catholic Church from the heresies of Protestantism. Question 3: The Roman Inquisition. Roman Inquisition was the penal and judicial institution created by the Catholic Church in the sixteenth century. The creation of the Roman Inquisition was prompted by the challenge that the protestant heretical teachings had posed to the Catholic Church. The Roman Inquisition was mandated to try and to punish the members of the Catholic Church, especially the clergy,

Portrayal of the Gods Essay Example for Free

Portrayal of the Gods Essay Gilgamesh was an historical king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the River Euphrates in modern Iraq. It revolves around the relationship between Gilgamesh, who has become distracted and disheartened by his rule, and a friend, Enkidu, who is half-wild and who undertakes dangerous quests with him. In the epic of Gilgamesh and in the lives of the Mesopotamian the gods where portrayed as self-serving arrogant beings. These beings created the human race as slaves for the gods and so a human in the view of an early Mesopotamian had better do what the gods said if they wanted to live a happy life. We see gods that that do not really care about the lives of the Mesopotamian. The Mesopotamian could not depend on the safety of a strong government. The lack of a strong government was caused by many different factors and one of the main factors that brought about a weak government in the land of the Mesopotamia, was the lack of a reliable food source. The unreliable food source was due to the lack of a reliable source of farmland. Moreover, this lack of farmland was due mostly to the ever-changing rivers that surrounded the early civilizations that believed in these harsh gods. These peoples could not depend on a predictable flood pattern from the Tigris or the Euphrates. This fact above all, is the reason that the view of mean uncaring gods came about for the lives of these early people. One year a village could be right next to the Tigris but in the next year, they’ll be a mile away from the river thus destroying the type of economy that the village had in the previous year. Living with this, the people of the early civilizations blamed this hardship on the gods. These people did not think that the gods were all bad though, but just thought that they did not care about human existence because, as they believed, humans were created by many gods and for the sole service of these gods that created them. We conclude that these gods are always out to get the humans in whatever endeavor they may take up. Gilgamesh and Enkidu learn all too well that the gods are dangerous for mortals. Gods live by their own laws and frequently behave as emotionally and irrationally as children. Piety is important to the gods, and they expect obedience and flattery whenever possible. They can often be helpful, but angering them is sheer madness, and a characters reverence for the gods is no guarantee of safety. He is rich in religious symbolism. Religious rituals in Mesopotamia involved sacrifices, festivals, sex, dream interpretation, and shamanic magic. The walls of Uruk symbolize the great accomplishments of which mortals are capable. The epic of Gilgamesh differs markedly from that of the Judeo-Christian tradition, in which God is both a partner in a covenant and a stern but loving parent to his people. The covenant promises that people will receive an earthly or heavenly inheritance if they behave well. The Judeo-Christian God represents not just what is most powerful but what is morally best, humans should aspire to imitate him. These differences are noteworthy because Gilgamesh also shares certain common elements with the Judeo-Christian Bible. The bible and Gilgamesh are written in both languages. In Oedipus Tyrannus, it talks about the Ancient Greece where a lot was not understood; science was merely an infant and everything that happened was explained as an act of the gods or fate. Gods were the pinnacle of power; existing since the dawn of time. They were immortal, omnipresent, and omnipotent. Different gods had different personalities. In this sense, the gods were anthropomorphic. Having such mastery of the world would enable them to control man’s behavior. Fate is the idea that people’s lives are predetermined and that no matter what is done, fate cannot be changed. With the gods it was used to explore events that seemed unexplainable. It is clear that a betrayal of the god’s dominance resulted in Laius and Jocasta’s education. Oedipus is the victim of both fate and circumstance. Apollo is the God behind the nebulous conspiration involving Oedipus. Oracular god hides what he reveals through his oracles. Here is evidence of the Greek theories, which contempt for the gods leads to pain and suffering. As a result he is punished in a way that is more severe than even death. There is also the fact of knowing that his mother is suffering terrible pain. In the embattle of Oedipus, fighting for his own life, the god is present as an old prediction, inescapable for sure, but acting as background for the development of facts, or better, for the discovery of what had already happened. Oedipus experiences great grief when he looks back and realizes how much he has fallen from his former perch of power. This end is not only ironic but also cruel. Arachne was so apt at weaving that she challenged the god Athene to a contest. Oedipus certainly is not one without flaws. His pride, ignorance, insolence and disbelief in the gods, and unrelenting quest for the truth ultimately contributed to his destruction. The tragedy brought this evolution in the way of analyzing the relationship between the Greek gods and man, giving the latter more freedom of action. When Oedipus was told that he was responsible for the murder of Laius, he became enraged and calls the old oracle a liar. He ran away from his home, Corinth, in hopes of outsmarting the gods divine will. Like his father, he also sought ways to escape the horrible destiny told by the oracle of Apollo. The chorus warns us of man’s need to have reverence for the gods, and the dangers of too much pride. If a man walks with haughtiness of hand or word and gives no heed to Justice and the shrines of Gods despises, may an evil doom smite him for his ill, starred pride of heart. If he reaps gains without justice and will not hold from impiety and his fingers itch for untouchable things. When such things are done, what man shall contrive to shield his soul from the shafts of the God? †(pp. 452). Finally, the Greeks are warned that the only way to happiness is through humility and respect towards the gods. In the book â€Å"Monkey† by Wu Cheng, Sun Wukong, realized that despite his power over the monkeys, he was just like them, and was not beyond mortality. His determination to find immortality made him to travel on a raft to civilized lands where he was made the disciple of a Buddhist. Through his travels, he was able to acquire human speech and manners. He established himself as one of the most powerful and influential demons in the world and traveled into the ocean where he got the weapons that suited him. Hoping that a promotion and a rank amongst the gods would make him more manageable, the Jade emperor invited Wukong to Heaven, where the monkey believed he would receive an honorable place as one of the gods. Instead, he was made the head of heavenly stables to watch over horses. He went against the gods when he discovered what he was doing, and proclaimed himself as the great sage, and teamed up with the most powerful demons on earth. Although the heavens recognized the title of the monkey, their attempt to subdue the monkey king was unsuccessful. Wukong’s indignation turned into open defiance when he realized that he was excluded from a royal meeting that included that god and the goddess. After stealing the empress Xi Wangmu’s peaches of immortality and the Jade Emperor’s royal wine, he escaped back to his kingdom in preparation for his rebellion. Finally he proved himself equal to the best of Heaven’s generals when he defeated the army of heavens. Conclusion In the three books, it’s evident that the gods were caring and if one goes against their will, there was a repercussion for that. The gods are the pinnacle of power who takes control of all the things in the world. Different gods have different personalities and deeds. Gilgamesh learns that the gods are dangerous for mortals. Gods live by their own laws and frequently behave as emotionally and irrationally as children. Piety is important to the gods, and they expect obedience and flattery whenever possible.