From the Paper "The purpose of this paper will be to discuss chimpanzees. The scope of the research will include discussions of the terminology of the species, their behavior, feeding patterns, habitat, tool usage, mental capacity, communication abilities, and societal behavior. Further, the report will include a review of the anthropological studies that have been undertaken of chimpanzees with particular emphasis on Jane Goodall's landmark research, with a quick note related to Mr. Larson's cartoon. Lastly, a brief look of how chimpanzees are viewed on the world market today will be presented.
"Living apes and humans and certain fossil forms belong to the superfamily Hominoidea of the suborder Anthropoidea of the order primates" (Tuttle, 1986, p. 1). 'Anthropoid' means man-like. During the early part of the century the term "ape" was..."
From the Paper "The green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), related to the Hawaiian sea turtle or the Pacific Green Sea Turtle but commonly found in the Caribbean and in North and South America, is a migratory creature with a long history of abuse at the hands of human beings, and today the species is endangered in various parts of the world because of its value as a food, animal predation on its nesting grounds, interference with its migratory patterns, and public ignorance about the plight of the creatures. International efforts are being made to improve the habitat of these creatures and to increase their numbers while also reducing the influences and behaviors that have reduced the population to its present state. The most important threats to the green sea turtle are shrimp trawling, man-made alterations to or destruction of beach habitats, inadvertent harassment of the sea..."
From the Paper "Philosophers have considered the question of the moral significance of animals as opposed to the moral significance of human beings for centuries, and the issue has become more potent in the scientific age with concerns about animal experimentation along with other issues related to the treatment of animals for food, as work animals, and in any situation which could be classified as captivity and not as the natural state of the animal.
In examining the moral significance of human beings, many philosophers differentiate between human beings and animals, emphasizing those qualities which separate human beings from animals, implying that these qualities prove moral significance and thus that the absence of these qualities would deny such significance. Inherent in the discussion of the moral..."
From the Paper "Bacillus thuringiensis
Insects are responsible for several devastating diseases. Certain entomopathogenic bacteria are useful as biological pesticides. The bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis, produces a toxic proteinaceous crystal during sporulation. Upon this crystal's ingestion by an insect larvae, (-endotoxins are solubilized and activated. These toxins form a nonselective pore in the plasma membrane of the insect's midgut epithelium. Disruption of the membrane's transepithelial potential ultimately causes the insect's death. At present, various B. thuringiensis formulations are commercially available.
Insects such as mosquitoes and black flies transmit some of the world's most deadly diseases. Through the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms between humans and animals, these..."
An analysis of the liver cells maintaining biologic homeostasis including function, description, structure, cleansing of blood, composition, plasma membrane and secretion.
1,575 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 9 sources, 1994, $ 55.95
From the Paper "Hepatocytes
The hepatocytes are cells which comprise the liver parenchyma. They are its primary functional units. Each individual cell has the capacity for all functions. As a group, the hepatocytes perform a vast array of physiological tasks, all of which are necessary for the maintenance of biologic homeostasis.
In the normal adult liver, it has been estimated that there are about 250 billion hepatocytes (1:xxix). Indeed, the liver is the largest visceral organ in mammals; in man, its weight is approximately 1.5 kilograms (8:8).
The development of the liver parenchyma starts from entodermal cells. These embryonic precursors grow into the mesenchyma of the septum transversum (8:8). The organ itself generally performs two..."
This paper discusses the influence of perticide use on Free Radicals: Definition, uses, dangers, impact on free radical molecules in consumers, symptoms and regulations.
2,025 words (approx. 8.1 pages), 12 sources, 1994, $ 71.95
From the Paper "In recent years, there has been mounting concern over the possible effects of pesticide residues in food. The use of such substances in agriculture is both necessary and widespread. However, many of these materials have been associated with various pathophysiologic phenomena. For example, the herbicide, paraquat, exerts its toxic effects through the intracellular formation of free radicals. Fortunately though, government regulatory mechanisms serve to minimize public exposure.
According to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, a pesticide is defined as "any substance or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating any insects, rodents, nematodes, fungi, or weeds, or any other forms of life declared to be pests; and ... "
This paper discusses Darwin's evolutionist' theory of natural selection: Historical/scientific background (Lamarckianism & Malthusianism), "The Origin of Species", influences and punctuated equilibrium.
2,250 words (approx. 9 pages), 8 sources, 1994, $ 79.95
From the Paper "More than a century after his death, and four generations after the publication of his chief work, The Origin of Species, Charles Darwin remains possibly the most controversial scientist in the world. His name is inextricably associated with the debate (now a political and cultural one, not a scientific one) that continues to swirl around the theory of evolution, a theory that deeply shook the Western view of humanity and its place in the world.
We conventionally speak simply of the theory of evolution, leaving off the explanatory phrase, "through natural selection." At most, perhaps, the general public has heard of "survival of the fittest"--an unfortunate phrase, since fitness in everyday usage is associated primarily with physical conditioning and athletic ability. "Survival of the most suited to its ... "
This paper discusses the depletion of fish stocks from overfishing: History, statistics, ecosystems, examples, causes & effects, industry factors, technology, pollution and regulation.
4,725 words (approx. 18.9 pages), 16 sources, 1995, $ 135.95
From the Paper "Throughout recorded history, humans have exploited marine resources. One of the earliest known maritime societies occurred along the Baltic Sea approximately 10,000 years ago. These Mesolithic era fishermen did not regulate their fisheries. Because their populations were small, early fishermen did not alter their marine resources. Hence there was never a need for them to constrain their practices. In more recent times, however, the fishing industry has grown to massive proportions. Following the second world war, it took mechanized fleets only 20 years to treble the world's annual fish production. In 1989, the total sea catch amounted to over 86 million metric tons. This increase in fishing, however, has had a devastating effect on the ... "
A discussion of the development of automated bio-terrorism identification equipment to detect and provide warning of the presence of biological agents in the case of biological wafare.
Abstract The paper examines how the Department of Defense has started work on a biological agent detection and identification program as part of efforts to develop a national early warning system for urban areas pertaining to biological warfare. It also describes the Biological Defense Homeland Security Support Program to achieve early detection and characterization of a biological-related incident in an urban area in order to reduce casualties, minimize disruption to infrastructures and support consequence management efforts. It looks at how the Postal Service has also set into motion work toward the development of bio-terrorism identification equipment due to anthrax scares and the work of biotechnology companies in the development of pulmonary drug delivery in order to combat air-borne bio-terrorist threats .
From the Paper "Another developer of bio-terrorism identification equipment is NanoVia, LP, an innovative leader in the development of next generation high-speed microvia drilling technology. The company recently announced that it intends to further develop its patented drilling process for pulmonary drug delivery in order to combat air-borne bio-terrorist threats (prweb.com). While currently applicable for conditions such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, fast-moving allergic reactions, seizures and cardiovascular conditions, NanoVia, LP believes that inhaled physical threats, such as Anthrax, can also be combated with this technology (prweb.com)."
Abstract The paper shows how we need to overcome the myths that many people believe about cats and dogs and about what spaying and neutering really accomplishes. So long as people believe that cats should not be spayed or neutered until after the female has had a litter or the male has reached a certain age, the problem will continue and grow more marked. The paper shows that those who want to prevent animals from suffering should think about the suffering caused by the huge cat and dog population that exists now and how much more cruel it would be if that population increased any further. Veterinarians know full well what benefits are achieved through spaying and neutering and also know that it is more cruel to allow these animals to grow old, get sick, live in the wild, or otherwise be unwanted and unloved because there are simply too many animals. The paper argues that we worry greatly about overpopulation in the human community in the future, but we have a clear vision of what overpopulation causes in our cat and dog population today. As hard as some people worked to reduce human population growth to a manageable figure, so should we work today to assure that the animal population also is under control.
From the Paper "However, as Adams (1997) notes, spaying and neutering is actually beneficial for the pet and for the owner alike. Spaying and neutering gives the pet a longer and healthier life. With spaying, a female's reproductive organs are removed, eliminating the chance of uterine and ovarian cancer. The risk of breast cancer also is greatly reduced. Spaying a female dog before her first heat cycle virtually eliminates the risk of breast cancer. Neutered males have their testicles removed, so there is no chance of testicular cancer. The chance of prostate problems in neutered male dogs is greatly reduced. Some pet owners worry that their pet will get fat or lazy after spaying or neutering. Their metabolism slows as they mature, but whether an animal is overweight is within the owner's control (Adams, 1997, 38)."
Abstract This paper examines a study that observed the interaction between the plants and birds of the tidal mudflat and determine what the different organisms provided for each other in the environment. The paper describes the observation of species inhabiting the Bolsa Chica Ecological Preserve, located near Huntingdon Beach, California. The four species observed during this study were Belding's Savannah sparrow, California Cord grass, the Brown Pelican and Pickle weed.
From the Paper "The intertidal salt marsh lies between the shore and the open bay water. Because of the proximity to the open ocean, it is often windy. It contains mud flats where the soil has high salt content that can only support grasses of varying heights. The salt marsh is home to a wide variety of birds, some that are year-round residents and others that use the marsh as a resting-place during their winter migrations to the South."
Abstract This paper evaluates the correlation between stress and the role of sexual activity in the reduction of stress. It looks at how stress that is experienced in daily life has an adverse affect on people and that sex is a form of physical activity and can be beneficial to reducing it. It describes the physical effect of stress on the body and shows how the relationship between physical activity and sex helps for relaxation, relieves stress and produces endorphins, the body's natural pain relievers.
From the Paper "Researchers at Ohio State University (Heart Disease Weekly, 2002) tested how fast that triglycerides would clear out of the bloodstream of volunteers during a stress-inducing test compared with a session in which the volunteers rested. This study found evidence that short periods of psychological stress can cause the body to take longer to clear heart-damaging fats from the bloodstream. The results showed that stress caused triglycerides to stay in the bloodstream longer and suggest one reason why stress has been linked to heart disease."
Abstract This paper introduces the issue of reproductive technology, with a focus on stem cell research. It questions the right of religious movements to influence breakthroughs in science, citing the arguments by pro-stem cell research camps that these new methods are beneficial to humankind with a potential to treat a multitude of diseases. The paper searches for an answer to the question as to what makes a soul, looking at different religions and experts in the field for their beliefs on the subject.
From the Paper "Orrin Hatch, Republican senator of Utah, is both a Mormon and a former medical liability lawyer. He agreed, ?I cannot equate a child living in the womb, with moving toes and fingers and a beating heart, with an embryo in a freezer.? And yet Dr. David . Prentice, a professor of life sciences at Indiana State University, says that when sperm and egg join, a new genome is created, and that constitutes personhood. "What makes us a human being"? he asks. ?It's the genome.?"
Abstract This paper presents the controversy concerning the safety and long-term health effects of irradiated foods. The paper argues in favor of irradiation by pointing out that it has been used for many years without problems and that many respectable studies have shown that it is not harmful. The author also presents arguments from studies using laboratory animals that there is evidence about carcinogens, chromosomal, genetic hazards and the loss of vitamins and nutrients.
From the Paper "Supporters of irradiated food cited the fact that this treatment has been endorsed by "such diverse entities as the World Health Organization, the United Nations, the U.S. Public Health Service and the American Medical Association". Moreover, hospitals and nursing homes have fed irradiated food to burn victims and chemotherapy patients for years due to the fact such ?immunologically comprised people are particularly prone to infections from bacteria that irradiation destroys".
Astronauts have been eating irradiated food since 1972."
An extensive historical overview of the compulsory sterilization laws, their effect on modern policy and their impact on women's rights in the United States.
Abstract This in-depth paper outlines the history of eugenic policies against mentally disabled persons in the United States since the beginning of the 20th century and examines how such policies have been expanded to include minorities, especially poor women. It show these eugenic policies continue in the United States today via limitations on the reproductive rights of welfare recipients. The paper includes explanations of fallacies of arguments used to support these policies, and concludes that these policies unfairly discriminate against women.
From the Paper "While the horrors committed in Nazi Germany forced the United States to reevaluate some of its more extreme eugenic tendencies, policymakers have failed to this day to examine some of the most basic ideologies that led to the original adoption of the eugenic measures. Unfortunately, the history of forced sterilization in the United States in the twentieth century continues to the present day, even to the point of pervading the debate on welfare reform. These arguments about the control of the reproductive rights of women receiving welfare aid are detrimental to the rights of women. It is therefore necessary that issues concerning the reproductive rights of women receiving welfare be eliminated from all discourse on the topic of welfare ?reform.?
