...Introduction Humans share a mutual ancestors with other organisms. This mutual ancestor that humans share with other organisms including rice that lived about 1.6 billion years ago. Chimpanzees and bonobos are our closet living relative. Researchers were able to come to this conclusion by comparing the genomes of chimpanzees and bonobos to the genome of humans. In this paper I will discuss why all organisms are related to each other, including humans. I will do this by using natural selection as a mechanism for evolution. Natural selection as a mechanism for evolution explains how organisms have changed over time to adapt to their environment. I will also provide the percent of relatedness in terms of nucleotide sequence. I will also discuss the Human genome project and its importance. The benefits of the human genome project extend far beyond determining who our closest ancestor is and how closely humans are related to mice and other organisms. In this paper I will also look at the technology that has been developed to enhance the findings the Human Genome Project. Humans Are Related To Other Organisms Humans share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees and bonobos. DNA (deoxyribonucleic acids) is the molecule that makes up an organism’s genome. DNA is located in the nucleus of eukaryotic cells and is found in the nucleoid of prokaryotic cells. DNA consist of genes which are instructions to make molecules called proteins. DNA’s serves a significant purpose...
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...Aspects not typically considered are when animal testing can be beneficial to animals themselves, and the support animal testing receives from multiple world religions. In one experiment, researchers visited multiple dog shelters to systemize stroking methods to reduce canine anxiety during adoption. Supplementary research into animal behavior also provided information on the best way to improve living spaces for apes. These studies can also be applied to future animal care and research facilities. Additionally, between Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, there is an agreement of ethical standard when it comes to using animals in research. Each religion has concluded animal testing is moral so long as the animal does not suffer from unnecessary pain, and the results of research are truly beneficial to humans. In Christianity, the Bible’s account of creation, Genesis 1:26, explicitly states how man has rule over the creatures on earth. As stated before, this same idea is expressed in multiple world religions. These three essential world religions all contain laws of morality, so it is logical to conclude animal testing is ethical by most people’s standards. In the past, animal activists expressed concern over proper nourishment of animals. Oftentimes, food deprivation is merely a part of the experimental process. They use this research to study...
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...by Stephen Oppenheimer In all our cells we have genes. Genes are made up of DNA, the string-like code of life that determines what we are, from our fingernails to our innate potential for playing the piano. By analysing genes, we can trace the geographic route taken by our ancestors back to an ultimate birthplace in Africa, at the dawn of our species. Further, if we take any two individuals and compare their genes, we will find that they share a more recent ancestor - living, in all probability, outside Africa. What is more, I believe that we can now prove where those ancestors lived and when they left their homelands. This remarkable proof has become fully possible only within the last decade, as a result of pioneering work by a number of people. Many of us have wondered what we would find if we could perhaps board a time machine and travel back through the generations of our ancestors. Where would it take us? Would we find ourselves to be distantly related to some famous or notorious person? How many generations would we pass through before we arrived at the first humans? Does our line continue back to monkeys, and beyond to worms and single-celled creatures, as Darwin maintained? We know from dry biology lessons at school that this ought to be so, but as with the uncertainty of what happens to us after we die, it is hard to fully grasp. We are now so used to the pace of technical advances that the sense of wonder fades with each new one. Yet, until very recently,...
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...“The longer you live the longer you should live” –Wiley “Evolution’s a bitch” –Wiley “Suckers are good to eat” –Wiley WHAT HAS EVOLUTION DONE FOR ME What has evolution done for me • Agricultural crops and animal breeding for the past 8,000 years • With the discovery of methods to reconstruct evolutionary relationships there is been a vast increase in the relevance of evolutionary biology to human society. Reconstructing Phylogenies • 1859-1950- No coherent empirical methods • 1950-1966- Emergence of Phylogenetic Systematics • Phylogeny by discovery of the order of evolutionary innovation Ribotyping • Fingerprinting or sequencing RNA • Many diseases have unknown causes • However, diseased tissues can be ribotyped. (Wiley Death Fish) • This process involves extracting DNA from diseased tissues and then sequencing the DNA that codes for rRNA. • If a disease agent such as a bacteria is present, then we will get ribosomal DNA sequences from the host (you) and the bacteria (the infection agent). Ribotyping: Phylogeny matching • Once we have the rDNA sequences, we can plug them into a sequence matrix of all life and see where our unknowns appear on the tree of life. Our Food Chain • Some products are easy to identify, but others are not. • A slab of fish fillet from a sea bass looks like a slab of sih fillet from a farmed Asian catfish. • But the sea bass costs $10/pound while the Asian catfish...
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...pain to innocent animals and can be avoided, many choose to still use this practice today. Animals have been used as tools in biomedical research as early on as the days when Greek philosophers, such as Aristotle, were experimenting for their next scientific breakthrough. Ibn Zuhr (Avenzoar), an Arab physician in twelfth century Moorish Spain, introduced animal testing as an experimental method for testing surgical procedures before applying them to human patients (Hajar 2011). Many research associations claim that animal testing has been used in almost every single medical breakthrough within the last one hundred years. Laws have been passed in several countries to make this practice more “humane.” In reality, these laws are the bare minimum and do not truly make a difference for the animals that are being used for experimentations. Animal testing in the medical field needs to dissolve and ultimately come to an end because, it is cruel and inhumane, the results are not beneficial or accurate due to the differences amongst humans and animals and finally because there are many alternatives that can be used instead of animal testing. Animal testing is a cruel and inhumane practice that causes pain to those animals that are forced to participate. There is much research done,...
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...The domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)[2][3] is a subspecies of the gray wolf (Canis lupus), a member of the Canidae family of the mammalian order Carnivora. The term "domestic dog" is generally used for both domesticated and feral varieties. The dog was the first domesticated animal[4] and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and pet animal in human history. The word "dog" can also refer to the male of a canine species,[5] as opposed to the word "bitch" which refers to the female of the species. MtDNA evidence shows an evolutionary split between the modern dog's lineage and the modern wolf's lineage around 100,000 years ago but, as of 2013, the oldest fossil specimens genetically linked to the modern dog's lineage date to approximately 33,000–36,000 years ago.[4][6] Dogs' value to early human hunter-gatherers led to them quickly becoming ubiquitous across world cultures. Dogs perform many roles for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling loads, protection, assisting police and military, companionship, and, more recently, aiding handicapped individuals. This impact on human society has given them the nickname "man's best friend" in the Western world. In some cultures, however, dogs are also a source of meat.[7][8] In 2001, there were estimated to be 400 million dogs in the world.[9] Most breeds of dogs are at most a few hundred years old, having been artificially selected for particular morphologies and behaviors by people for specific functional roles. Through...
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...Bookmarks tab on the left side of this window. ***************************************************** We are the last. The last generation to be unaugmented. The last generation to be intellectually alone. The last generation to be limited by our bodies. We are the first. The first generation to be augmented. The first generation to be intellectually together. The first generation to be limited only by our imaginations. We stand both before and after, balancing on the razor edge of the Event Horizon of the Singularity. That this sublime juxtapositional tautology has gone unnoticed until now is itself remarkable. We're so exquisitely privileged to be living in this time, to be born right on the precipice of the greatest paradigm shift in human history, the only thing that approaches the importance of that reality is finding like minds that realize the same, and being able to make some connection with them. If these books have influenced you the same way that they have us, we invite your contact at the email addresses listed below. Enjoy, Michael Beight, piman_314@yahoo.com Steven Reddell, cronyx@gmail.com Here are some new links that we’ve found interesting: KurzweilAI.net News articles, essays, and discussion on the latest topics in technology and accelerating intelligence. SingInst.org The Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence: think tank devoted to increasing Humanity’s odds of experiencing a safe, beneficial Singularity. Many interesting articles on such...
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...Preface A well-developed knowledge of clinical microbiology is critical for the practicing physician in any medical field. Bacteria, viruses, and protozoans have no respect for the distinction between ophthalmology, pediatrics, trauma surgery, or geriatric medicine. As a physician you will be faced daily with the concepts of microbial disease and antimicrobial therapy. Microbiology is one of the few courses where much of the "minutia" is regularly used by the practicing physician. This book attempts to facilitate the learning of microbiology by presenting the information in a clear and entertaining manner brimming with memory aids. Our approach has been to: 4) Create a conceptual, organized approach to the organisms studied so the student relies less on memory and more on logical pathophysiology. The text has been updated to include current information on rapidly developing topics, such as HIV and AIDS (vaccine efforts and all the new anti-HIV medications), Ebola virus, Hantavirus, E. coli outbreaks, Mad Cow Disease, and brand-new antimicrobial antibiotics. The mnemonics and cartoons in this book do not intend disrespect for any particular patient population or racial or ethnic group but are solely presented as memory devices to assist in the learning of a complex and important medical subject. We welcome suggestions for future editions. 1) Write in a conversational style for rapid assimilation. 2) Include numerous figures serving as "visual memory tools" and summary charts...
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...How is the scientific method used to solve problems? Scientific method used to solve problems by keen observations, rational analysis, and experimentation. Observation: Closely observe the physical world around you. How is the scientific method used to solve problems? Scientific method used to solve problems by keen observations, rational analysis, and experimentation. Observation: Closely observe the physical world around you. Question: Recognize a question or a problem. Hypothesis: An educated guess or a reasonable explanation. When the hypothesis can be tested by experiment, it qualifies as a scientific hypothesis Prediction: Consequences that can be observed if the hypothesis is correct. The consequences should be absent if the hypothesis is not correct. Conclusion: Formulate the simplest general rule that organizes the hypothesis, predicted effects, and experimental findings. What is the principle of falsifiability? For a hypothesis to be considered scientific it must be testable?it must, in principle, be capable of being proven wrong. Fact: A phenomenon about which competent observers can agree. Theory: A synthesis of a large body of information that encompasses well-tested hypotheses about certain aspects of the natural world. Law: A general hypothesis or statement about the relationship of natural quantities that has been tested over and over again and has not been contradicted. Also known as a principle. Evidence: which...
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...NATURE OF MAN HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE IN 10 MODULES E. Kolawole Ogundowole, Ph.D., D.Sc. Professor & Head of Philosophy Department University of Lagos. Akoka, Lagos. Nigeria Correct Counsels Limited Research. Counselling. Publishing. Book Supply First published 2003 Correct Counsels Ltd. P. O. Box 53 Akoka, Lagos. C E. Kolawole Ogundowole, 2003 ISBN: 978 -37004 - 0 – 5 This book is copyright. All rights reserved under the Copyright La Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. Printed in Nigeria by: Mustard Press Enterprises 16, Ogundola Street Sungas-BAriga. PREFACE A few words about the overall objectives of the course is appropriate as a starting point. Historically, philosophy was the first form of theoretical knowledge. As a rational theoretical tool of comprehending the world, philosophy arose in ancient Greece in stiff battle with mythology and religious consciousness. It came out to lay the foundation for the evolvement of scientific consciousness and the emergence and development of the sciences - Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, etc. In an environment rife with various and varying superstitions and myths, the study of the History of Science and Philosophy of Science becomes crucial, lest science itself falls within the ambit of mythology and superstition and becomes another form of myth even in the hands of the tutored. The study of the History of Science...
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...Fa"Fad diet" is a term of popular media, not science. Some so-called fad diets may make pseudo-scientific claims. According to one definition, fad diets claim to be scientific but do not follow the scientific method in establishing their validity. What is a fad diet? There are many different definitions of what a fad diet consists of. One definition is any weight loss plan that quickly gains popularity and may become unpopular just as quick. A more specific definition is any weight loss program or aid that promises to produce dramatic weight loss in a very short amount of time. Each type of fad diet varies in the amount of food that is restricted and what types of foods may be restricted. Are fad diets healthy? The basis of these diets is usually a very restricted diet that may even eliminate certain food groups all together. Research has shown that in order to obtain the amount of nutrients our body needs on a daily basis we must consume a balanced and varied diet. Fad diets do not allow consumers to eat a well-balanced diet in most cases which causes the lack of nutrients to the body. In particular, the diets that eliminate certain foods from a person’s diet completely put the person at risk for nutrient deficiencies. Many of the diet authors will suggest that consumers take daily supplements to make up for the lost nutrients; however supplements do not provide all the plant chemicals and nutrients that our bodies need to function properly. Another risk of these diets...
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...RICHARD DAWKINS-The Selfish Gene. Ebook v1.0. 'Who should read this book? Everyone interested in the universe and their place in it.' Jeffrey R. Baylis, Animal Behaviour Our genes made us. We animals exist for their preservation and are nothing more than their throwaway survival machines. The world of the selfish gene is one of savage competition, ruthless exploitation, and deceit. But what of the acts of apparent altruism found in nature-the bees who commit suicide when they sting to protect the hive, or the birds who risk their lives to warn the flock of an approaching hawk? Do they contravene the fundamental law of gene selfishness? By no means: Dawkins shows that the selfish gene is also the subtle gene. And he holds out the hope that our species-alone on earth-has the power to rebel against the designs of the selfish gene. This book is a call to arms. It is both manual and manifesto, and it grips like a thriller. The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins's brilliant first book and still his most famous, is an international bestseller in thirteen languages. For this new edition there are two major new chapters. 'learned, witty, and very well written...exhilaratingly good.' Sir Peter Medawar, Spectator Richard Dawkins is a Lecturer in Zoology at Oxford University and a Fellow of Mew College, and the author of The Blind Watchmaker. Preface to 1976 edition This book should be read almost as though it were science fiction. It is designed to appeal to the imagination. But it is not science...
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...and not contradicted; a theory is a synthesis of facts and well-tested hypotheses. 7 In everyday speech, a theory is the same as a hypothesis—a statement that hasn’t been tested. 8 Theories grow stronger and more precise as they evolve to include new information. 9 The term supernatural literally means “above nature.” Science works within nature, not above it. 10 They rely on subjective personal experience and do not lead to testable hypotheses. They lie outside the realm of science. 11 Science, art, and religion can work very well together; like strings on a guitar, when played together, the chord they produce can be a chord of profound richness. 12 Science is concerned with gathering knowledge and organizing it. Technology lets humans use that knowledge for practical purposes, and it provides the instruments scientists need to conduct their...
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...To go to page vi of Volume 2, type Vol2:vi in the "page #" box… and so forth. Encyclopedia of Human Body Systems This page intentionally left blank Encyclopedia of Human Body Systems VOLUME 1 Julie McDowell, Editor Copyright 2010 by ABC-CLIO, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data McDowell, Julie. Encyclopedia of human body systems / Julie McDowell. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978–0–313–39175–0 (hard copy : alk. paper) 1. Human physiology—Encyclopedias. I. Title. QP11.M33 2011 612.003—dc22 2010021682 ISBN: 978–0–313–39175–0 EISBN: 978–0–313–39176–7 14 13 12 11 10 1 2 3 4 5 This book is also available on the World Wide Web as an eBook. Visit www.abc-clio.com for details. Greenwood An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC ABC-CLIO, LLC 130 Cremona Drive, P.O. Box 1911 Santa Barbara, California 93116-1911 This book is printed on acid-free paper Manufactured in the United States of America Contents VOLUME ONE About the Editor and Contributors, vii Introduction, ix CHAPTER 1 The Building Blocks of the Human Body, 1 Julie McDowell CHAPTER 2 The Circulatory System, 23 Leslie Mertz CHAPTER 3 The Digestive System...
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...THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY OTHER ECONOMIST BOOKS Guide to Analysing Companies Guide to Business Modelling Guide to Business Planning Guide to Economic Indicators Guide to the European Union Guide to Financial Markets Guide to Management Ideas Numbers Guide Style Guide Dictionary of Business Dictionary of Economics International Dictionary of Finance Brands and Branding Business Consulting Business Ethics Business Strategy China’s Stockmarket Globalisation Headhunters and How to Use Them Successful Mergers Wall Street Essential Director Essential Economics Essential Finance Essential Internet Essential Investment Essential Negotiation Pocket World in Figures THE FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY THE ECONOMIST IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROFILE BOOKS LTD Published by Profile Books Ltd 3a Exmouth House, Pine Street, London ec1r 0jh Copyright © The Economist Newspaper Ltd 2005 All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book. The greatest care has been taken in compiling this book. However, no responsibility can be accepted by the publishers or compilers for the accuracy of the information presented. Where opinion is expressed it is that of the author and does not necessarily...
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