Genes - Definition, Function, and Mutations

Genes - Definition, Function, and Mutations Genes are segments of DNA located on chromosomes that contain the instructions for protein production. Scientists estimate that humans have as many as 25,000 genes. Genes exist in more than one form. These alternative forms are called alleles and there are typically two alleles for a given trait. Alleles determine distinct traits that can be passed on from parents to offspring. The process by which genes are transmitted was discovered by Gregor Mendel and formulated in what is known as Mendels law of segregation. Gene Transcription Genes contain the genetic codes, or  sequences of nucleotide bases in nucleic acids, for the production of specific proteins. The information contained within DNA is not directly converted to proteins, but must first be transcribed in a process called DNA transcription. This process takes place within the nucleus of our cells. Actual protein production takes place in the cytoplasm of our cells through a process called translation. Transcription factors are special proteins that determined whether or not a gene gets turned on or off. These proteins bind to DNA and either aid in the transcription process or inhibit the process. Transcription factors are important for cell differentiation as they determine which genes in a cell are expressed. The genes expressed in a red blood cell, for example, differ from those expressed in a sex cell. An Individual's Genotype In diploid organisms, alleles come in pairs. One allele is inherited from the father and the other from the mother. Alleles determine an individuals genotype or gene composition. The allele combination of the genotype determines the traits that are expressed or the phenotype. A genotype producing the phenotype of a straight hairline, for example, differs from the genotype resulting in a V-shaped hairline. Inherited Through Both Asexual and Sexual Reproduction. Genes are inherited through both asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction. In asexual reproduction, resulting organisms are genetically identical to a single parent. Examples of this type of reproduction include budding, regeneration, and parthenogenesis. Gametes Fuse to Form a Distinct Individual Sexual reproduction involves the contribution of genes from both male and female gametes that fuse to form a distinct individual. The traits exhibited in these offspring are transmitted independently of one another and may result from several types of inheritance. In complete dominance inheritance, one allele for a particular gene is dominant and completely masks the other allele for the gene.In incomplete dominance, neither allele is completely dominant over the other resulting in a phenotype that is a mixture of both parent phenotypes.In co-dominance, both alleles for a trait are fully expressed. Some Traits Determined by More Than One Gene Not all traits are determined by a single gene. Some traits are determined by more than one gene and are therefore known as polygenic traits. Some genes are located on sex chromosomes and are called sex-linked genes. There are a number of disorders that are caused by abnormal sex-linked genes including hemophilia and color blindness. Variation Helps Adapting to Changing Situations Genetic variation is a change in the genes that occur in organisms in a population. This variation typically occurs through DNA mutation, gene flow (movement of genes from one population to another) and sexual reproduction. In unstable environments, populations with genetic variation are typically able to adapt to changing situations better than those that do not contain genetic variation. Mutations Are From Errors and the Environment A gene mutation is an alteration in the sequence of nucleotides in DNA. This change can affect a single nucleotide pair or larger segments of a chromosome. Changing gene segment sequences most often results in non-functioning proteins. Some mutations can result in disease, while others may have no negative impact on or may even benefit an individual. Still, other mutations may result in unique traits such as dimples, freckles, and multicolored eyes. Gene mutations are most commonly the result of environmental factors (chemicals, radiation, ultraviolet light) or errors that occur during cell division (mitosis and meiosis).

Understand Chemistry Unit Conversions

Understand Chemistry Unit Conversions Unit conversions are important in all sciences, although they may seem more critical in chemistry because many calculations use different units. Every measurement you take should reporting with the proper units. While it may take practice to master unit conversions, you only need to know how to multiply, divide, add, and subtract to do them. The math is easy as long as you know which units can be converted from one to another and how to set up conversion factors in an equation. Know the Base Units There are several common base quantities, such as mass, temperature, and volume. You can convert between different units of a base quantity, but may not be able to convert from one type of quantity to another. For example, you can convert grams to moles or kilograms, but you cant convert grams to Kelvin. Grams, moles, and kilograms are all units that describe the amount of matter, while Kelvin describes temperature. There are seven fundamental base units in the SI or metric system, plus there are other units that are considered base units in other systems. A base unit is a single unit. Here are some common ones: Mass kilogram (kg), gram (g), pound (lb) Distance or Length meter (m), centimeter (cm), inch (in), kilometer (km), mile (mi) Time second (s), minute (min), hour (hr), day, year Temperature Kelvin (K), Celsius (C), Fahrenheit (F) Quantity mole (mol) Electric Current ampere (amp) Luminous Intensity candela Understand Derived Units Derived units (sometimes called special units) combine the base units. An example of a derived unit is a unit for area, square meters (m2) or the unit of force, the newton (kg ·m/s2). Also included are volume units. For example, there are liters (l), milliliters (ml), cubic centimeter (cm3). Unit Prefixes In order to convert between units, youll want to know common unit prefixes. These are used primarily in the metric system as a sort of shorthand notation to make numbers easier to express. Here are some useful prefixes to know: Name Symbol Factor giga- G 109 mega- M 106 kilo- k 103 hecto- h 102 deca- da 101 base unit 100 deci- d 10-1 centi- c 10-2 milli- m 10-3 micro- 10-6 nano- n 10-9 pico- p 10-12 femto- f 10-15 As example of how to use the prefixes: 1000 meters 1 kilometer 1 km For very large or very small numbers, its easier to use scientific notation: 1000 103 0.00005 5 x 10-4 Performing Unit Conversions With all of this in mind, youre ready to perform unit conversions. A unit conversion can be thought of as a sort of equation. In math, you may recall if you multiply any number times 1, it is unchanged. Unit conversions work the same way, except 1 is expressed in the form of a conversion factor or ratio. Consider the unit conversion: 1 g 1000 mg This could be written as: 1g / 1000 mg 1 or 1000 mg / 1 g 1 If you multiply a value times either of these fractions, its value will be unchanged. Youll use this to cancel out units to convert them. Heres an example (notice how the grams cancel out in the numerator and denominator): 4.2x10-31g x 1000mg/1g 4.2x10-31 x 1000 mg 4.2x10-28 mg Using Your Calculator You can enter in these values in scientific notation on your calculator using the EE button: 4.2 EE -31 x 1 EE3 which will give you: 4.2 E -18 Heres another example. Convert 48.3 inches into feet. Either you know the conversion factor between inches and feet or you can look it up: 12 inches 1 foot or 12 in 1 ft Now, you set up the conversion so that the inches will cancel out, leaving you with feet in your final answer: 48.3 inches x 1 foot/12 inches 4.03 ft There is inches in both the top (numerator) and bottom (denominator) of the expression, so it cancels out. If you had tried to write: 48.3 inches x 12 inches/1 foot you would have had square inches / foot, which wouldnt have given you the desired units. Always check your conversion factor to make sure the correct term cancels out! You may need to switch the fraction around. Key Points Unit conversions only work if the units are the same type. For example, you cant convert mass into temperature or volume into energy.In chemistry, it would be nice if you only had to convert between metric units, but there are many common units in other systems. For example, you may need to convert a Fahrenheit temperature into Celsius or a pound mass into kilograms.The only math skills you need to do unit conversions are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

A Biography of Letizia Bonaparte - Napoleons Mother

A Biography of Letizia Bonaparte - Napoleons Mother Letizia Bonaparte experienced poverty and opulent wealth thanks to the actions of her children, the most famous of whom was Napoleon Bonaparte, the twice Emperor of France. But Letizia was no mere lucky mother profiting from a childs success, she was a formidable figure who guided her family through difficult, albeit often self made, situations, and saw a son rise and fall while keeping a relatively steady head. Napoleon might have been emperor of France and Europes most feared military leader, but Letiziawas still happy to refuse to attend his coronation when she was unhappy with him! Marie-Letizia Bonaparte (nà ©e Ramolino), Madame Mà ©re de Sa Majestà © lEmpereur (1804 - 1815) Born: 24th August 1750 in Ajaccio, Corsica.Married: 2nd June 1764 in Ajaccio, CorsicaDied: 2nd February 1836 in Rome, Italy. Childhood Born in the middle of the eighteenth century, August 1750, Marie-Letizia was a member of the Ramolinos, a low ranking noble family of Italian descent whose elders had lived around Corsica - and in Letizias case, Ajaccio - for several centuries. Letizias father died when she was five and her mother Angela remarried a few years later to Franà §ois Fesch, a captain from the Ajaccio garrison which Letizias father had once commanded. Throughout this period Letizia received no education beyond the domestic. Marriage The next phase of Letizias life began on June 2nd 1764 when she married Carlo Buonaparte, the son of a local family with similar social rank and Italian descent; Carlo was eighteen, Letizia fourteen. Although some myths claim otherwise, the couple certainly didnt elope on a lovesick whim and, although some of the Ramolinos objected, neither family was overtly against the marriage; indeed, most historians agree that the match was a sound, largely economic, agreement which left the couple financially secure, although far from rich. Letizia soon bore two children, one before the end of 1765 and another under ten months later, but neither lived for long. Her next child was born on July 7th 1768, and this son survived: he was named Joseph. Overall, Letizia gave birth to thirteen children, but only eight of those made it past infancy. On The Front Line One source of family income was Carlos work for Pasquale Paoli, a Corsican patriot and revolutionary leader. When French armies landed in Corsica during 1768 Paolis forces fought an, initially successful, war against them and, in early 1769, Letizia accompanied Carlo to the front line - at her own behest - despite her fourth pregnancy. However, the Corsican forces were crushed at the battle of Ponte Novo and Letizia was forced to flee back to Ajaccio through mountains. The incident is worth noting, for shortly after her return Letizia gave birth to her second surviving son, Napoleon; his embryonic presence at the battle remains part of his legend. Household Letizia remained in Ajaccio for the next decade, bearing six more children who survived into adulthood - Lucien in 1775, Elisa in 1777, Louis in 1778, Pauline in 1780, Caroline in 1782 and finally Jerome in 1784. Much of Letizias time was spent caring for those children who remained at home - Joseph and Napoleon departed for schooling in France during 1779 - and organising the Casa Buonaparte, her home. By all accounts Letizia was a stern mother prepared to whip her offspring, but she was also caring and ran her household to the benefit of all. Affair with Comte de Marbeuf During the late 1770s Letizia began an affair with the Comte de Marbeuf, Corsicas French military governor and a friend of Carlos. Although there is no direct evidence, and despite the attempts of some historians to argue otherwise, the circumstances make it quite clear that Letizia and Marbeuf were lovers at some point during the period 1776 to 1784, when the latter married an eighteen year girl and began to distance himself from the, now 34 year old, Letizia. Marbeuf may have fathered one of the Buonaparte children, but commentators who claim he was Napoleons father are without any foundation. Fluctuating Wealth / Flight to France Carlo died on February 24th 1785. For the next few years Letizia managed to keep her family together, despite numerous sons and daughters scattered across France in education and training, by running a thrifty household and persuading notoriously ungenerous relatives to part with money. This was the start of a series of financial troughs and peaks for Letizia: in 1791 she inherited large sums from Archdeacon Lucien, a man who had lived on the floor above her in the Casa Buonaparte. This windfall enabled her to relax her grip on household tasks and enjoy herself, but it also enabled her son Napoleon to enjoy quick promotion and enter into the turmoil of Corsican politics. After turning against Paoli Napoleon suffered defeat, forcing his family to flee for the French mainland in 1793. By the end of that year Letizia was lodged in two small rooms at Marseilles, relying on a soup kitchen for food. This sudden income and loss would, you can speculate, colour her views when the family rose to great heights under the Napoleonic empire and fell from them with equally spectacular speed. Rise of Napoleon Having plunged his family into poverty, Napoleon soon saved them from it: heroic success in Paris brought him promotion to the Army of the Interior and considerable wealth, 60,000 francs of which went to Letizia, enabling her to move into one of Marseilles best homes. From then until 1814 Letizia received ever greater riches from her son, especially after his triumphant Italian campaign of 1796-7. This lined the elder Bonaparte brothers pockets with considerable riches and caused the Paolistas to be expelled from Corsica; Letizia was thus able to return to the Casa Buonaparte, which she renovated with a massive compensatory grant from the French government. The Wars of the 1st / 2nd / 3rd / 4th / 5th / 1812 / 6th Coalition Mother of the Emperor of France Now a woman of great wealth and considerable esteem, Letizia still attempted to control her children, remaining able to praise and chastise them even as they became kings, princes and emperors. Indeed, Letizia was keen that each should benefit equally from the Bonapartes success, and each time he bestowed an award on one sibling Letizia urged him to restore the equilibrium with awards to the others. In an imperial story full of wealth, battles and conquest, there is something warming about the presence of the imperial mother still making sure the siblings divided things equally, even if these were regions and people had died to gain them. Letizia did more than simply organise her family, for she acted as unofficial governor of Corsica - commentators have suggested that nothing major occurred without her approval - and oversaw the Imperial Charities. Snubbing Napoleon However, Napoleons fame and wealth was no guarantee of his mothers favour. Immediately after his imperial accession Napoleon granted titles to his family, including that of Prince of the Empire for Joseph and Louis. However, Letizia was so chagrined at hers - Madame Mà ¨re de Sa Majestà © lEmpereur (or Madame Mà ¨re, Madam Mother) - that she boycotted the coronation. The title may well have been a deliberate slight from son to mother over family arguments and the Emperor tried to make amends a year later, in 1805, by giving Letizia a country home with over 200 courtiers, high-ranking servants and vast sums of money. Madame Mre This episode reveals another side of Letizia: she was certainly careful with her own money, but willing to spend that of her children and patrons. Unimpressed with the first property - a wing of the Grand Trianon - she had Napoleon move her into a large seventeenth century chateau, despite complaining at the opulence of it all. Letizia was exhibiting more than an innate miserlyness, or using the lessons learnt from coping with her free-spending husband, for she was preparing for the potential collapse of Napoleons empire: My son has a fine position, said Letizia, but it may not continue for ever. Who knows whether all these kings wont some day come to me begging for bread? (Napoleons Family, Seward, pg 103.) Refuge in Rome Circumstances did indeed change. In 1814 Napoleons enemies seized Paris, forcing him into abdication and exile on Elba; as the Empire fell, so his siblings fell with him, losing their thrones, titles and parts of their wealth. Nevertheless, the conditions of Napoleons abdication guaranteed Madame Mà ¨re 300,000 francs a year; throughout the crises Letizia acted with stoicism and gentle bravery, never rushing from her enemies and marshalling her errant children as best she could. She initially traveled to Italy with her half brother Fesch, the latter gaining an audience with Pope Pius VII during which the pair were granted refuge in Rome. Letizia also exhibited her head for sensible finances by liquidating her French property before it was taken from her. Still showing parental concern, Letizia traveled to stay with Napoleon before urging him to embark on the adventure which became the Hundred Days, a period when Napoleon regained the Imperial Crown, hurriedly re-organised France and fought the most famous battle in European History, Waterloo. Of course, he was defeated and exiled to distant St. Helena. Having traveled back to France with her son Letizia was soon thrown out; she accepted the protection of the Pope and Rome remained her home. Post Imperial Life Her son may have fallen from power, but Letizia and Fesch had invested considerable sums during the days of Empire, leaving them wealthy and ensconced in luxury: she brought the Palazza Rinuccini in 1818 and installed within it a large number of staff. Letizia also remained active in her familys affairs, interviewing, hiring and shipping staff out to Napoleon and writing letters to secure his release. Nevertheless, her life now became tinged with tragedy as several of her children died young: Elisa in 1820, Napoleon in 1821 and Pauline in 1825. After Elisas death Letizia only ever wore black, and she became increasingly devout. Having lost all her teeth earlier in life Madame Mere now lost her sight, living many of her final years blind. Death / Conclusion Letizia Bonaparte died, still under the protection of the Pope, in Rome on February 2nd 1836. An often dominant mother, Madame Mà ¨re was a pragmatic and careful woman who combined an ability to enjoy luxury without guilt, but to also plan ahead and live without exorbitance. She remained Corsican in thought and word, preferring to speak Italian instead of French, a language which, despite almost two decades living in the country, she spoke poorly and could not write. Despite the hatred and bitterness aimed at her son Letizia remained a surprisingly popular figure, probably because she lacked the eccentricities and ambitions of her children. In 1851 Letizias body was returned and buried in her native Ajaccio. That she is a footnote in the history of Napoleon is an enduring shame, as she is an interesting character in her own right, especially as, centuries later, it is often the Bonapartes who resisted the heights of grandeur and folly who endear. Notable Family:Husband: Carlo Buonaparte (1746 - 1785)Children: Joseph Bonaparte, originally Giuseppe Buonaparte (1768 - 1844)Napoleon Bonaparte, originally Napoleone Buonaparte (1769 - 1821)Lucien Bonaparte, originally Luciano Buonaparte (1775 - 1840)Elisa Bacciochi, nà ©e Maria Anna Buonaparte/Bonaparte (1777 - 1820)Louis Bonaparte, originally Luigi Buonaparte (1778 - 1846)Pauline Borghese, nà ©e Maria Paola/Paoletta Buonaparte/Bonaparte (1780 - 1825)Caroline Murat, nà ©e Maria Annunziata Buonaparte/Bonaparte (1782 - 1839)Jà ©rà ´me Bonaparte, originally Girolamo Buonaparte (1784 - 1860)

CONFIDENTIALITY IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CONFIDENTIALITY IN PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE - Essay Example Confidentiality in health care is covered in Data Protection Act 1998 in force from March 1, 2000 covering ‘all social services and health records.’ (Beech, 2007) It’s important for patient to know that personal information won’t be disclosed or used without permission. However, in certain situations there is an ethical dilemma between the need to preserve confidentiality and disclose personal information for specific purposes. The breach in patient’s confidentiality can be possible if it concerns public interests. Although protecting confidentiality in health care is usually paramount, the legal obligation to maintain confidentiality is not absolute (McHale 2000 in Beech, 2007). Under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 healthcare staff can disclose personal information in case of severe crimes or terrorism or in case when identification of people involved in traffic accidents is needed. The information can be disclosed also to assist the police to prevent murder, rape and kidnapping. So disclosure happens in situations when an individual is at risk of being seriously harmed when the information is not disclosed. (Beech, 2007). Personal information can be revealed in cases of certain infectious diseases when the law requires health providers to inform public health authorities. When it concerns public interest the breach of confidence is justified according to a common law justification. For example, when a nurse is aware of threat to public safety like in case when a person with epilepsy rides a motorbike, one is entitled to notify driving medical authorities. The same is true in case of communicable disease or sexually transmitted infections. It’s appropriate for the health care professional to inform a partner of the infected person of the possible threat. The breach of confidence here is justified on the basis of harm prevention. (Clinical Confidentiality, 2005) The laws

Individual Behavior and Communication Paper Essay

Individual Behavior and Communication Paper - Essay Example The behavioral culture of any organization is fashioned in large part by the commonality of the separate individuality of each separate employee as well as each division. Organizational behavior engage the study of how these employees operate and perform, concentrating on practices that can create a distinction in the way employees adjust to and execute their mission. Organizational behavior changes the focus of management towards job satisfaction and involvement, commitment to the organization, and actual task performance measures. Ethics is an important element as it is vital for organizations to exhibit a commitment to instilling ethical behavior. Ethical behavior in the arena of decision-making can be complex, and so it is important that a code of ethics be strictly defined, as well as the establishment of a fair disciplinary system for those who violate the ethical standards. It is just as vital that leadership also develop a procedure to reward employees when they have been recognized for exhibiting positive ethical behaviors. It is also essential that employees be involved in the process of identifying ethical issues and creating a means of ad dressing them when they are both violated and followed. In the arena of ethical decision making, the criteria used to classify the values that motivate the concept of ethics must also be considered. Moral behavior is involved in choosing problems as well as choosing who should be involved, approximating the impact of substitution. It is paramount that everyone in the organization understands that ethical conduct does not arrive as a result of being revealed as a violator of the already-in-place code. Organizational culture is made up of the values and beliefs that manipulate and persuade employee behavior. Diversity is the individual disparities that exist within members of an organization and is most readily based on external factor such as gender,

CHAUTAUQUA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CHAUTAUQUA - Essay Example This is a goal, which a first year engineering student should develop although long term (DiLaura 07). Consequently, having a family should also be a goal of a student, as every moral life requires a family. A goal map than can be used to accomplish the above goals includes scoring satisfactory grades in the engineering collage from all the exams. This entails developing proficient qualities of listening and understanding, taking notes and being active in class. Good grades guarantee a degree in engineering after which I seek for an outstanding engineering job (DiLaura 05). With full experience after working in another firm, running, my engineering firm is not a difficult task. Over the past two years, there are various goals; I have achieved; first, I succeeded in securing a chance in the engineering collage. This is a marvelous achievement considering my background. Consequently, I have attended varied classes on computer studies to impart skills later applicable in life. Students who dodge their classes opting to other activities have goals but at the same time have detractors. The student, therefore, follows other people’s goals instead of his own goals (DiLaura 12). In conclusion, goal setting is a step in realizing any success. Lack of commitment often forces people to abolish their goals, which is a wrong step in life. It is, therefore, noteworthy that students focus on their goals for success. DiLaura, David. Being smart is not enough, Chautauquas for first year engineering students. New York, NY: Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department of The College of Engineering and Applied Science in The University of Colorado at Boulder, 1998.

Violent Video Games Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Violent Video Games - Essay Example However, the diversity of these video games is threatening. Many of these games are violent in nature. Examples of violent video games are: Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat and Sega's Primal Rage. All these games deal with fighting and killing the opponent in the most terrible and cruel way possible. Many of the more recent violent video games are modifications and are influenced by the above mentioned games. According to Dill, "Provenzo (1991) studied the most popular video games and noted that 40 out of 47 were violent in nature." Several other studies are mentioned by Dill, all of which support the idea that most of the video games are violent in nature. This research seeks to discover the degree of influence of the violent video games to selected college students. Inevitably and naturally, the players are affected by the games they play. This study will try to find out the causal relationship between violent video game and aggression. This will try to prove the hypothesis that the exposure of the students to video game violence increase aggressive behavior and other aggression related phenomena. Specifically, the study will answer the question: Does playing violent video game increase aggressiveness This research will use 40 respondents, 20 males and 20 females. ... The researcher will determine the video game to be played. Immediately after playing the video games, their cardiovascular measures (blood pressure and heart rate) will be taken then immediately they will be asked to answer the questionnaire. The IV (independent variable) will be the video games and the DV (dependent variable) will be the cardiovascular measures and the questionnaire. They must not take alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes and any drugs that may affect their behavior prior to the experiment. The following is a list of the video games that will be played by the respondents. The violent games are: Dark Forces (The player assumes the role of a special ops guy in the Rebellion aiming to steal the Death star plans and to get out alive. Weapons like a blaster rifle and laser pistol are used to kill enemy guards and storm troopers.); Marathon 2 (The shooter is a space marine trapped in a base that is taken over by aliens. His goal is to retake the base and not die, shooting at anything that moves.); Speed Demon (The player drives a heavily armed vehicle in a race with other armed vehicles. One gets points by destroying other vehicles.); Street Fighter (This is similar in many ways to Mortal Kombat. The player chooses a character and then engages in a series of fights with other characters.); and Wolfenstein 3D (The player assumes the role of B.J. Blascowitz, an American soldier caught and taken prisoner trying to infiltrate a top-secret Nazi lab. There are several deadly weapon s and he shots at all things that move). The nonviolent games are: 3D Ultra Pinball (This is simply an electronic version of a pinball game, complete with flippers, buzzers, bells, and various visual and auditory effects); Glider Pro (Players of this game control the forward and