Differentiation Between Respiration and Breathing

Differentiation Between Respiration and Breathing Report: The differentiation between respiration and breathing and an explanation of the adaptation of the alveoli and their role in gas exchange. Introduction This report will explore the differences between respiration and breathing by defining their structures and functions and attaching a hand drawn diagram of the respiratory tract to refer to. The author will also give an explanation of how gasses are exchanged through the alveoli by providing a table explaining the composition of inhaled and exhaled air. A description of the adaptations of the alveoli will be provided to show how they maximise the effectiveness of gas exchange. A summary will then be drawn from the findings. Differences between respiration and breathing The Respiratory System (Appendix .1) The respiratory system consists of tissues and also organs that help with the process of breathing. The core parts of this important system are the airways, lungs, linked blood vessels, and also the muscles that allow breathing. Airways The airways are pipes that carry oxygen to the lungs. They also carry waste gas, such as carbon dioxide out of the lungs. The airways consists of; linked air passages in the nose, (called nasal cavities), the mouth, Larynx (voice box), the trachea (windpipe) and lastly tubes named bronchi or also known as bronchial tubes, and also their branches. Air moves into the body through the mouth and nose, which warms and also wets the air. (Dry cold air can irritate the lungs causing problems for asthma sufferers). The air then moves down the Larynx and through the trachea. The windpipe splits into two bronchial tubes, the ait moves through here and then enters the lungs (Remedy Health Media, 2015). A thin flap of tissue named the epiglottis, covers the windpipe when swallowing. This prevents both food and drink from entering the air passageways that lead to the lungs, if this failed to be successful an individual could die. With an exception of some parts of the nose and the mouth, all of the other airways have special hairs known as cilia that are coated with tacky/sticky mucus. These cilia trap foreign particles and germs that enter the airways when breathing in. These tiny, fine hairs then collect the particles up to the mouth or nose. From there, theyre swallowed, sneezed or coughed out. Nose hairs and mouth saliva also trap germs and particles. Lungs and Blood Vessels Remedy Health Media (2015), also suggest that linked blood vessels and also the lungs carry oxygen to the human body and also remove carbon dioxide. The lungs are situated on either side of the breastbone and fill the area of the chest cavity. The left hand lung is ever so slightly smaller than the right hand lung to allow room for the cardiac muscle (heart). In both lungs, the bronchi divide into thousands of thinner tubes known as bronchioles and these thin tubes end in bunches of tiny rounded air sacs known as alveoli. Each of the alveoli are covered with little blood vessels known as capillaries. The capillaries connect to a complex system of veins and arteries that transport blood through the whole body. The pulmonary artery including also its branches carry blood which is holding only carbon dioxide and no oxygen to the capillaries that surround the alveoli. Inside the alveoli, carbon dioxide transfers from the blood into the air. In conjunction with this, oxygen transfers from the air and into the blood within the capillaries. The blood which is now carrying the oxygen moves to the heart through the pulmonary vein and also its branches. The cardiac muscle pumps the blood holding the oxygen out to the body. The lungs are separated into five sections known as lobes. Some individuals have to have a diseased lung lobe removed, however they can still breathe sufficiently by using their remaining lung lobes. Muscles Used for Breathing Human Kinetics (2015), state that muscles situated near to the lungs help expand (loosen) and contract, (tighten) the lungs to allow breathing. These muscles comprise of the diaphragm, intercostal muscles, abdominal muscles and muscles in the neck and also collarbone area. The diaphragm is the main muscle for breathing and is dome-shaped and located beneath the lungs. It divides the chest cavity from the abdominal cavity. They also explain that the intercostal muscles are positioned between the ribs. They also play a huge part in helping with our breathing. Beneath the diaphragm are the abdominal muscles. They help with breathing out when we breathe fast (for example, during exercise). Muscles in the neck and also collarbone area help with inhalation when other muscles involved in breathing dont work as well as they should, or when lung disease impairs breathing capacity. Breathing Inhalation Hyper physics (2012), explain that during inhalation, the diaphragm contracts (tightens) and moves down which maximises the space in the chest, allowing room for the lungs to expand. The intercostal muscles situated in between the ribs also help to enlarge the chest. They contract to move the rib cage both up and out when inhaling. As the lungs capacity increases, air is drawn in through the mouth and nose. The air makes its way through the windpipe and enters the lungs. After making its way through the bronchial tubes, the air finally reaches and moves into the alveoli. Through the extremely thin walls of the alveoli, oxygen taken from the air moves to the capillaries. Haemoglobin, a red blood cell protein aids the movement of oxygen from the alveoli to the blood. In conjunction with this, carbon dioxide travels from the capillaries into the alveoli. The gas has travelled in the bloodstream from the right side of the heart through the pulmonary artery. Blood carrying oxygen from the lungs is carried through the capillaries to the pulmonary vein which delivers the oxygenated blood to the left side of the heart. The left side of the heart pumps the blood to the rest of the body. There, the oxygen in the blood moves from blood vessels into surrounding tissues (Hyper physics, 2012). Exhalation During the act exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and moves up and into the chest cavity. The intercostal muscles which sit between the ribs also relax to decrease the space available within the chest cavity. As this available space in the chest cavity reduces, air rich in carbon dioxide is forced out of the lungs and then windpipe, and lastly out of the mouth or nose (Boundless Biology, 2015). Exhalation requires no effort unless lung disease is apparent or physical activity is taking place. During physically activity, the stomach muscles contract and force the diaphragm against the lungs more than usual which rapidly pushes air out of the lungs (Boundless Biology, 2015). The adaptations of the alveoli and their role in gas exchange Gas exchange An exchange of gases takes place within the alveoli, between the gases inside the alveoli and the blood. Blood that arrives in the alveoli has a greater carbon dioxide concentration which is produced during  respiration  by the body’s cells. However, the air in the alveoli has a much smaller concentration of carbon dioxide, resulting in a concentration gradient  which allows carbon dioxide to  diffuse  out of the blood and into the alveolar air (Intel, 2014). Also according to Intel (2014), blood arriving in the alveoli has a lower oxygen concentration (as it has been used for respiration by the body’s cells), while the air in the alveoli has a higher oxygen concentration. Therefore, oxygen moves into the blood by diffusion and combines with the  haemoglobin  in red blood cells to form the combined oxyhaemoglobin. This table taken from BBC (2014), shows the differences (estimated figures) in the composition of inhaled and exhaled air. Adaptations of the alveoli According to ABPI (2015), to maximise the effectiveness of gas exchange, the alveoli have numerous adaptations such as, they are folded, providing a much greater  surface area  for gas exchange to occur. Also the walls of the alveoli are only one cell thick which makes the exchange surface very thin shortening the diffusion distance across which gases have to move. Each alveolus is surrounded by blood  capillaries  which ensure a good blood supply. This is important as the blood is constantly taking oxygen away and bringing in more carbon dioxide, which helps to maintain the maximum concentration gradient between the blood and the air in the alveoli. Lastly each alveolus is  ventilated, removing waste carbon dioxide and replenishing oxygen levels in the alveolar air. This also helps to maintain the maximum concentration gradient between the blood and the air in the alveoli (ABPI, 2015). Summary This report has explored the differences between respiration and breathing by defining their structures and functions. The author has also give an explanation of how gasses are exchanged through the alveoli by providing a table explaining the composition of inhaled and exhaled air. A description of the adaptations of the alveoli has been provided to show how they maximise the effectiveness of gas exchange. Bibliography About. Com (2015) [Online] Available from: http://backandneck.about.com/od/breathing/a/breathingvencir_2.htm [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. BBC GCSE Bitesize (2014) [Online] Available from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/pe/appliedanatomy/1_anatomy_respiratorysys_rev1.shtml [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Boundless Biology (2015) [Online] Available from: https://www.boundless.com/biology/textbooks/boundless-biology-textbook/the-respiratory-system-39/breathing-221/the-mechanics-of-human-breathing-838-12083/ [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Boyle, M, Indge, B and Senior, K. 1999. Human Biology. London: Harper Collins. Human Kinetics (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/learn-the-anatomy-and-physiology-of-the-muscles-involved-in-breathing [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Hyper Physics (2012) [Online] Available from: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/biology/respir.html [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Intel Corporation (2014) [Online] Available from: http://inteleducationresources.intel.co.uk/content/KeyStage3/Biology/PC/LearningSteps/AOALC/LO_Template.swf [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Joeseph, C. 2014. Anatomy. Ivy Press. Modelo Dynamic Views (2013) [Online] Available from: http://ibbiology2012.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/describe-features-of-alveoli-that-adapt.html [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Preserve Articles (2012) [Online] Available from: http://www.preservearticles.com/201101133233/difference-between-breathing-and-respiration.html [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Remedy Health Media (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.healthcommunities.com/pulmonology-anatomy/respiratory-tract-anatomy.shtml [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Ricardo Espulgas (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.sci-culture.com/advancedpoll/GCSE/differencebetweenbreathingandrespiration.htm [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Roberts, A. 2014. Human Anatomy, The Definitive Visual Guide. Dorling Kindersley Limited. The association of the Pharmaceutical Industry ABPI (2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.abpischools.org.uk/page/modules/breathingandasthma/asthma4.cfm?coSiteNavigation_allTopic=1 [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Wen MD (2005-2015) [Online] Available from: http://www.webmd.com/lung/pulmonary-vascular-disease [Accessed: 5th May 2015]. Dominique Rundle

Merck †River Blindness Essay

Business Ethics. Concepts and cases 4th edt. , Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1998 River blindness is an agonizing disease that affects some 18 million impoverished people living in remote villages along the banks of rivers in tropical regions of Africa and Latin America. The disease is caused by a tiny parasitic worm that is passed from person to person by the bite of the black fly which breeds in river waters. The tiny worms burrow under a person’s skin where they grow as long as two feet curled up inside ugly round nodules half an inch to an inch in diameter. Inside the nodules the worms reproduce by releasing millions of microscopic offsprings called microfilaria that wriggle their way throughout the body moving beneath the skin, discoloring it as they migrate, and causing lesions and such intense itching that victims sometimes commit suicide. Eventually, the microfilaria invade the eyes and gradually blind the victim. Spraying pesticides to eradicate the black fly faltered when it developed an immunity to the pesticides. Moreover, the only drugs available to treat the parasite in humans have been so expensive, have such severe side effects, and require such lenghty hospital stays that the treatments are impractical for the destitute victims who live in isolated villages. In many countries people have fled the areas along the rivers, abandoning large tracts of rich fertile land. Many of them, however, eventually return because distant lands prove difficult to farm. Most villagers along the rivers come to accept the nodules, the torturous itching, and eventual blindness as an inescapable part of life. In 1979, Dr. William Campbell, a research scientist working for Merck and Company, an American drug company, discovered evidence that one of the company’s best-selling animal drugs, Ivermectin, might kill the parasite that causes river blindness. Closer analysis indicated that Ivermectin might provide a low cost, safe, and simple cure for river blindness. Campbell and his research team therefore petitioned Merck’s chairman, Dr. P. Roy Vagelos, to allow them to develop a human version of the drug which up to then was used only on animals. Merck managers quickly realized that if the company succeeded in developing a human version of the drug, the victims of the disease were too poor to afford it. The medical research and large-scale clinical testing required to develop a version of the drug for humans could cost over $100 million. It was unlikely the company could recover these costs or that a viable market could develop in the poverty-stricken regions where the disease was rampant. Moreover, even if the drug was affordable, it would be virtually impossible to distribute it since victims lived in remote areas, and had no access to doctors, hospitals, clinics, or commercial drug outlets. Some managers also pointed out that if the drug had adverse side effects when administered to humans, ensuing bad publicity might taint the drug and adversely affect sales of the animal version of the drug which were about $300 million a year. The risk of harmful side effects was heightened by the possibility that incorrect use of the drug in underdeveloped nations could increase the potential for harm and bad publicity. Finally, if a cheap version of the drug was made available, it might be smuggled to black market and sold for use on animals thereby undermining the company’s lucrative sales of Ivermectin to veterinarians. Merck managers were undecided what to do. Although the company had worldwide sales of $2 billion a year, its net income as a percent of sales was in decline due to the rapidly rising costs of developing new drugs, the increasingly restrictive and costly regulations being imposed by government agencies, a lull in basic scientific breakthroughs, and a decline in the productivity of company research programs. Congress was getting ready to pass the Drug Regulation Act which would intensify competition in the drug industry by allowing competitors to more quickly copy and market drugs originally developed by other companies. As a result of increasing public concern over rising health costs, government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid had recently put caps on reimbursements for drugs and required cheaper generic drugs in place of the branded name drugs that were Merck’s major source of income. In the face of these worsening conditions in the drug industry, Merck managers were reluctant to undertake expensive projects that showed little economic promise, such as the suggested development of a drug for river blindness. Yet without the drug, millions would be condemned to lives of intense suffering, and partial or total blindness. After many earnest discussions among Vagelos and his management team, they came to the conclusion that the potential human benefits of a drug for river blindness were too significant to ignore. Many of the managers felt, in fact, that because of these human benefits the company was morally obligated to proceed in spite of the costs and the slim chance of economic reward. In late 1980, Vagelos and his fellow managers approved a budget that provided the sizable funding needed to develop a human version of Ivermectin. After seven years of expensive research and numerous clinical trials, Merck succeeded in developing a human version of Ivermectin: A single pill of the new drug taken once a year would eradicate from the human body all traces of the parasite that caused river blindness and would prevent new infections. Unfortunately, exactly as the company had earlier suspected, no one stepped forward to buy the miraculous new pill. Merck officials pleaded with the World Health Organization, the U. S. Government, and the governments of nations afflicted with the disease, asking that someone — anyone — come forward to buy the drug to protect the 85 million people who were at risk for the disease. None responded to the company’s pleas. Merck decided, therefore, that it would give the drug away for free to potential victims. However, this plan proved difficult to implement because, as the company had earlier feared, there were no established distribution channels to get the drug to the people who desperately needed it. Working with the World Health Organization, therefore, the company financed an international committee to provide the infrastructure to distribute the drug safely to people in the third world and to ensure it would not be diverted into the black market to be sold for use on animals. By 1996 the committee, working with government and private voluntary organizations, had provided the drug to millions of people, effectively transforming their lives and relieving the intense sufferings and potential blindness of the disease. Asked why the company had invested so much money and effort into research, developing, manufacturing, and distributing a drug that made no money, Dr. Roy Vagelos replied in an interview that once the company suspected that one of its animal drugs might cure a severe human disease that was ravaging people, the only ethical choice was to develop it. Moreover, people in the third world â€Å"will remember† that Merck helped them, he commented, and would respond favorably to the company in the future. Over the years, the company had learned, Vagelos claimed, that such actions have strategically important long-term advantages. â€Å"When I first went to Japan fifteen years ago, I was told by Japanese business people that it was Merck that brought streptomycin to Japan after World War II to eliminate tuberculosis, which was eating up their society. We did that. We didn’t make any money. But it’s no accident that Merck is the largest American pharmaceutical company in Japan today. † [†¦ ] Pundits sometimes quip that â€Å"business ethics† is a contradiction in terms because there is an inherent conflict between ethics and the self-interested pursuit of profit. When ethics conflict with profits, the imply, businesses always choose profits over ethics. Yet, the case of Merck and Company suggests a somewhat different perspective, a perspective that many companies are increasingly taking. The management of this company spent tens of millions of dollars developing a product that they knew had little chance of ever being profitable because they felt they had an ethical obligation to make its potential benefits available to people. In this case, at least, a large and very successful business chose ethics over profits. Moreover, the comments of Vagelos at the end of the case suggest that in the long run, there may be no inherent conflict between ethical behavior and the pursuit of profit. The comments of Vagelos suggest, on the contrary, that ethical behavior creates the kind of goodwill and reputation that expand opportunities for profit. Not all companies, of course, operate like Merck, and many—perhaps even most—companies will not invest in a research and development project that they have good reason to suspect will prove unprofitable. A glance at the headlines of newspapers, in fact, will reveal many cases of companies that choose profit over ethics, and enough cases of companies that have profited through unethical behavior. Although companies often engage in unethical behavior, however, habitually unethical behavior is not necessarily a good long-term business strategy for a company. Ask yourself, for example, whether, as a customer, you are more likely to buy from a business that you know is honest and trustworthy or from one that has earned a reputation for being dishonest and crooked? Or ask yourself whether, as an employee, you are more likely to loyally serve a company whose actions toward you are fair and respectful, or one that habitually treats you and other workers unjustly and disrespectfully? Clearly, when companies are competing against each other for customers and for the best workers, the company with a reputation for ethical behavior has an advantage over one with a reputation for being unethical.

Pathological Modern Human or Evolutionary Offshoot Essay

Upon initial discovery of the skeletons at Liang Bau cave on the island of Flores in Indonesia in 2003, these enigmatic skeletons were appropriately dubbed ,†Hobbits† by Australian and Indonesian researchers because of their small stature and curious bone structure. The location of the skeletons themselves is interesting because of the remoteness of the island from the Asian continent. This leads one to wonder how these people’s ancestors came to the island in the first place close to 800,000 years ago. It is highly debated whether or not these tiny skeletons are evidence of an offshoot of one of our evolutionary ancestors or examples of modern humans with pathologies that caused the deformities. If these skeletons are proved to be a new species in our genus, it would be a profound implication since these peoples were contemporary with modern humans as recently as 13,000 years ago and may have had some interaction. A recent study indicated that these humans were indeed a new species of the genus Homo, and had distinct characteristics, such as cranial morphology that was different from modern humans with pathologies like dwarfism or microcephalism (Kubo 2013). If they are indeed a new species, it leaves open the possibility of other unknown species of the genus Homo that might have been mischaracterized as a pathological deformity. Before going into the recent evidence for Homo Floresiensis being a distinct species of Homo, I’d like to establish some information that was known about these peoples. The skeletons that were discovered had an average height usually around one meter tall, weighing about twenty kilograms, and had a lifespan of approximately thirty years of age. Evidence from archaeological sites indicates that this pupulace utilized fire, along with stone tools and weapons. One of the most astonishing facts is that these people, who would have a stature close to a three year-ol d child, worked together and planned jointly in order to hunt big-game animals like the pygmy Stegodon, which could weigh up to a thousand kilograms. Although they had brains about the size of grapefruits with capacities around 400cc; compared to the average cranial capacity of modern humans, 1350cc; thisjoint communication and planning indicates that they had high cognitive capacity despite their small endocranial volume. There is additional evidence that shows that these people also hunted Komodo Dragons, giant rodents, and lizards, along with other small game animals, like fish, frogs, birds, snakes, and tortoises (Mayell 2004). Although it is unknown how these people first arrived on the island, it is known that they arrived around eight hundred and forty thousand years ago. It is postulated that these people who first came were most likely normal sized Homo Erectus from the Asian mainland, as evidence by their high degree of prognathism, lack of chins, and heavy brow ridge (Mayell 2004). Because the skeletons of Floresiensis also shows other primitive traits in their bone morphology, an alternative theory is that they came from an even older unknown ancestor is not excluded (Ghosh 2013). It is thought that the original inhabitants of this island shrunk over a long period of time by a process called Island Dwarfing that is evident in other animal species. It is likely that over tens of thousands of years their bodies shrunk because environmental conditions favored it. And it is no wonder that this process is the likely answer, because islands typically have a limited food supply, a small amount of predators, and other animals competing for resources, which would lead to the body gradually shrinking in order to reduce the daily energy requirements. One skeptical approach to this theory is that perhaps these people came to the island already dwarfed, due to the lack of larger bodied ancestors being found. It is unfortunate that these people have not survived into the mo dern era, which would allow us to have more solid information on their daily lives and physical traits, they went extinct along with their food sources about thirteen thousand years ago due to a volcanic eruption (Mayell 2004). Although there are many people who are skeptical that these miniature skeletons are indeed a new species, there is ample evidence that would indicate that these people are indeed a whole new species in the long line of our evolutionary history. At Liang Bau limestone cave, the site of the original discovery, many stone artefacts in the forms of complex tools and weapons were found dated to around one hundred thousand years ago, associated with the Late Pleistocene era. Because of the complexity of these artefacts, some claim that they were created by modern Homo Sapiens. This claim though, is ruled out by the evidence found at Mata Menge, a sitelocated about fifty kilometers to the east. Researchers at this site have noted that there is specific similarities and apparent continuity between the stone artefacts found there and the more recent artefacts found at Liang Bau cave (Brumm 2006). The authenticity of these complex stone artefacts is demonstrated by similar older finds in the Soa Basin, at the sites of Boa Lesa, Kobatuwa, and Mata Menge, which were all dated to around eight hundred thousand years ago, all showing similarities and technological development leading towards the more recent artefacts found at Liang Bau (B rumm 2006). Aside from the stone artefacts found dated to eight hundred thousand years ago that prove that the newer stone artefacts at Liang Bau were not made by modern H. Sapiens, there is even more convincing evidence in the bones of Homo Floresiensis that indicate that they are indeed a new species that evolved separately from the rest of the Homo Erectus population. Or perhaps from an even older undocumented ancestor that was dispersed into Southeast Asia (Jungers 2009). The female Homo Floresiensis skeleton that was found, dubbed LB1, was relatively intact, and researchers have been studying her bones to find clues to her evolutionary origin. Researchers initially looked at the morphology of the three wrist bones of LB1 for clues as to her evolutionary origin, this is a good way of determining evolutionary history because modern and upper paleolithic Homo Sapiens and Neandertals all have certain exclusive features of their wrist bone morphology that is absent in other species. Because of t his, looking at the formation of the wrist bones of Homo Floresiensis allow us to get an idea of whether or not they evolved from early Sapiens and Neandertals, or from an even earlier ancestor. LB1’s wrist morphology shares primitive features that is associated with African Ape-Human clade, while absent in modern humans. When compared to the bone morphology of our more recent evolutionary ancestors, it seems to indicate that it is unlikely that some unknown pathology is responsible for these primitive features being present (Tocheri 2007). Perhaps even more convincing is the fact that modern wrist bone morphology was not evident until as recently as eight hundred thousand years ago, which was contemporary with H. Floresiensis arrival on the island; and because they lack this feature, it seems to indicate that they were from an older ancestor that was established on the island before this distinct morphology formed. The wrist bones themselves were not the only bones under scrutiny by researchers, they also looked at the feet of H. Floresiensis, and it yielded surprising information that strengthened the probability that these peoples were indeed a separate species of the genus Homo. Upon inspecting the feet morphology of LB1, it was discovered that the feet were exceptionally long relative to the tibia and femur. This trait is not evident in any hominin species, but is found in certain African apes. The combination of the unusual lower-limb proportions and primitive pedal phalanges indicate that LB1 had distinct differences in biomechanical function from modern humans, and would have had a unique kinetic motion (Jungers 2009). This, along with the wrist morphology of LB1, all seem to indicate that they evolved from an early primitive ancestor, and making it extremely unlikely that these primitive bone morphologies were all caused by pathologies or some unknown disease. Perhaps the most important evidence for H. Floresiensis as a separate species and not simply a case of repeated pathologies or diseases, is the morphology of the skull relative to know pathologies or genetic diseases. Researchers compared a virtual endocast of LB1’s brain relative to endocasts from great apes, Homo Sapiens, Homo Erectus, a human pygmy, a human microcephalic, an Australopithecus Africanus, and a Paranthropus Aethiopicus. The data derived from these comparisons concluded that LB1’s cranial morphology is not consistent with a microcephalic or a pygmy, based on its’ morphometric, allometric, and shape data; with the only similarities being a small endocranial volume (Falk 2005). More recent research done thi s year has determined that LB1’s endocranial volume is a bit higher than previously thought, now at 426 cc, compared to the previous measurement of 400 cc. This is significant because when paired with the body-to-brain ratio, it indicates that as H. Floresiensis shrunk, its’ brain scaled down to compensate for the reduction of body mass; which implies in the past H. Floresiensis brain and body was larger and could have descended from an earlier small-brained ancestor or the larger brained H. Erectus (Kubo 2013). Although the brain is still extremely small when compared to modern humans, â€Å"LB1 has frontal and temporal lobes and a lunate sulcus in a derived position, which is consistent with capabilities for higher cognitive processing† (Falk 2005). This conclusion indicates that it is a likely possibility that H. Floresiensis is a separate species, based on the fact that these bone morphologies are unlikely to occur simply from pathologies or defects, and are not consistent with modern cases of such pathologies. Also, their arrival on the island is contemporary with when modern wrist morphology was developed, and because they lack this morphology along with the standard lower-limb proportions, to me it indicates that they were evolved from an older and more primitive ancestor down our evolutionary line, and should be considered a new species. This find initially was significant because people started to research and think about the possibility that these â€Å"hobbits† were indeed a new species. And as more research was done on their bone morphology, it became even more significant because the additional research increased the probability that this was truly a new species, and not just a case of an unknown pathology or disease. The implication that this is a new species has far reaching and significant effects; it shows us that our evolutionary history was not as straightforward as we once thought, and that evolution took us through a few twists and turns to get where we are today (Ghosh 2013). This should cause archaeologists to be more open minded about our evolutionary history, and consider other undiscovered evolutionary paths we are unaware of. And maybe this being accepted as a new species will lead to the discovery of other past forms of Homo that we have overlooked as being the effects of a pathology or dis ease. I would definitely consider this one of the more interesting and important finds of the twenty-first century. Bibliography Ghosh, Pallab 2013 BBC News : Science and Environment. Web Page, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22166736, accessed May 5, 2013 Mayell, Hillary 2004 National Geographic News. Web Page, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/10/1027_041027_homo_floresiensis.html, accessed May 5, 2013 Tocheri, Matthew 2007 The Primitive Wrist of Homo Floresiensis and Its Implications for Hominin Evolution Science 21, Vol. 317, No. 5845 : 1743-1745 Falk, Dean 2005 The Brain of LB1, Homo Floresiensis Science 8, Vol. 308, No. 5719 : 242-245 Jungers, W. L. 2009 The Foot of Homo Floresiensis Nature 459 : 81-84 Brumm, Adam 2006 Early stone technology on Flores and its implications for Homo floresiensis Nature 441 : 624-628 Kubo, Daisuke 2013 Brain size of Homo floresiensis and its evolutionary implications Proceedings of the Royal Society B, Vol. 280, No. 1760

A Comparison of Great Scientists in History Essay

Socrates was an Ancient Greek philosopher who lived from 469-399 B.C. Much of what he knew he learned from another famous Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato. Concerning logic and human behavior in general, â€Å"Socrates’ life was inspired by discussion and debate with both the young of Athens and the leading philosophers of his day† (Daintith, Vol. 9 93). He introduced methodical and ordered thinking. Socrates is quoted as having said, â€Å"It seemed to me a superlative thing to know the explanation of everything, why it comes to be, why it perishes, and why it is† (Daintith, Vol. 9 93). This summarizes what he sought to discover and understand throughout the entirety of his life. Socrates is a genuine example of the philosophers and scientists†¦show more content†¦Curiously, unlike most other philosophers, Aristotle studied zoology and discussed it often. â€Å"Aristotle made extensive observations and descriptions of many different animals and may be considered the first to show a serious interest in the field.† (Franck 57). Other than his interest in animals, Aristotle is another typical example of what philosophers and scientists were researching and exploring in his time of Ancient Greece. Almost two millennia later, there was the Renaissance, or rebirth of interest in studying science and technology. However, two new interests had arisen; medicine and astronomy. One such scientist is a very good demonstration of what most scientists of the time where doing in the field of astronomy. Galileo Galilei, who lived from 1564-1642 was an Italian astronomer and physicist â€Å"†¦whose methods made him the first truly ‘modern’ scientist. He made highly significant contributions in the fields of gravitation, motion, and astronomy, but he came into conflict with the Catholic Church over his views about the universe.† (Allaby 24) In 1581, Galileo entered the University of Pisa. While there, he studie d medicine. Not being his favorite subject, Galileo quickly developed a passion for mathematics. He improved the telescope originally invented by Zacharias Janssen and Jacob Metius. One day, Galileo looked into his telescope and up out into the universe. â€Å"His initial reaction was sheerShow MoreRelatedComparative Politics Essay1392 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Those who only know one country know no country.† – Seymour Martin Lipset. The scholar Guy Swanson once said, â€Å"Thinking without comparison is unthinkable. And, in the absence of comparison, so is all scientific thought and scientific research.† (cited in Ragin, 1992). As such, comparison is necessary for the development of political science. 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