Abstract
This paper is on the job description of an aquatic biologist. It includes the main prospective of the job, how biologists deal with it and what is it all about, the different categories of jobs within the same field, what attracts people to the field of biology, and the requirements to be fulfilled for this job.

Tags:aquatic, biologist

Abstract
The paper explains that procedures such as in-vitro translation are based upon the recognition that cells are protein-production facilities. Consequently, when medical researchers consider it necessary to make a particular protein, they can rely upon cells to produce that protein for them. The paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of this method. The paper then discusses how molecular biologists consider in vitro synthesis of proteins in cell-free extracts to be an important method, for it offers a variety of applications.

From the Paper
"Procedures such as in-vitro translation are based upon the recognition that cells are protein-production facilities. Consequently, when medical researchers consider it necessary to make a particular protein, they can rely upon cells to produce that protein for them. Unfortunately, a number of problems have been experienced because living cells are not very good sources of exogenous proteins, for some proteins are degraded and some are toxic, while other proteins are clumped into inclusion bodies comprised of insoluble aggregates."

Tags:living, cells, proteins, molecular, biologists, biotechnologists

Abstract
This paper explains that the fundamental premise of Myriam Miedzian's "Boys will be Boys" is that violence in society can be drastically reduced, both in terms of war and crime, if society is willing to tear down the traditional archetypes of masculinity. The author points out that one of the most common lines of attack that Miedzian takes into consideration is the notion that somehow the male is biologically inclined to be violent, which stems from the argument put forth by a number of socio-biologists. The paper concludes that proposals for changing this archetype are likely to be insufficient in ultimately shifting the perspective held by society because market forces are likely to continue advertising and supporting the male as a figure of action for the simple reason that it is profitable.

From the Paper
"The second powerful argument that Miedzian is forced to grapple with deals with the theories of political realism. Specifically, the idea that violent and aggressive males are advantageous to society because of foreign struggles and wars. Still, she classifies this premise as false and writes, "The 'real men' who run our country are handicapped by the values of the masculine mystique to make rational foreign policy decisions. . . . The masculine mystique teaches men to be tough, to repress empathy, and not to let moral concerns weigh to heavily when the goal is winning." Overall, she believes that these traits are harmful on a large scale and inevitable lead to unnecessary conflict."

Tags:socio-biologists, competitive, politics, history, market

Abstract
Biologist E. Mayr put forth a theory that interplay between human genes and their environment contributes to human evolution. He believes this sets narrow limits on allowable evolutionary changes within a species. The paper shows that developmental biologists believe that the genes active early in development are the oldest acquired genes, while those active in the later stages of development are more recently acquired genes. In this respect, changes in the older genes would have more serious deleterious effects in the individual than changes in the newer genes. This paper produces support for this theory on human evolution by providing examples of human and other mammal development.

From the Paper
"Engels (2) uses the example of human hands to explain the idea of human evolution. He believes that hands are the "perfected product of hundreds of thousands of years of labor. The endless adaption of new manual operations allowed human hands to become indispensable tools." Engels postulates that as apes evolved into man, they adopted an upright posture and began using their hands for purposes other than walking. Even though monkeys used their hands for holding food, clubs to attack their enemies, etc., none has the capacity for using their hands that man does. Since even primitive man was able to fashion tools and spear heads, and even simple jewelry, the muscles, ligaments, and bones must have evolved over time to allow their use in more complicated tasks."

Tags:recapitulation, Genetic, mutations, Geneticist, DNA

Abstract
This paper explains that scientists have discovered in big-brained invertebrates-- octopuses and their cephalopod cousins, the cuttlefish and the squid--- cognitive, behavioral and affective traits, which were once considered exclusive to the higher vertebrates. The author points out that biologists claim that octopus in the Seattle Aquarium can recognize certain people if they encounter them on a regular basis thus demonstrating their intelligence. The paper relates that not only do octopuses act in ways that parallel other intelligent animals but also they entertaining themselves by playing with toys.

From the Paper
"Unfortunately, octopuses only live for an average of 2 years and spend most of these years taking advantage of the learning experiences they face each and every day. With such a short life span, these underwater creatures do not have the opportunity to build on their knowledge and maintain a full capacity of their peculiarly large brains. An octopus's childhood can be closely compared to that of a runaway, with no one and nothing to rely on for support and learning. "The young octopus learns on its own with minimal contact with conspecifics and no influences of parental care or sibling rivalry." Developing on their own and learning everything required to survive by experience, the cognitive ability of these creatures is exceptional."

Tags:big-brained, cognitive, behavioral, affective, guidelines

Abstract
This paper explains that, while some animals are resilient enough to cope with major habitat destruction, others, particularly those animals who have evolved to live in very specific types of habitat, cannot. The author points out that the ecological problem for the pygmy-possum was that the mountain on which the females live became a popular ski resort area with a road cutting across the path the males used to get to the females; ecologists solved the problem by constructing a corridor --a man-made tunnel under the road--for the males to use to get to the females. The paper stresses that biologists need detailed information about the ways endangered animals live, feed and reproduce in order to find a solution to diminishing wildernesses.

From the Paper
"There are numerous examples of habitat destruction and its effects on wildlife. For instance, the Richmond birdwing butterfly is a beautiful butterfly found in subtropical rainforests in Australia. This butterfly feeds almost exclusively on one plant -- the Richmond birdwing vine. As habitat shrank, a second problem developed: a vine called Dutchman's pipe pushed out the Rhichmond birdwing vine. The butterflies laid their eggs on the Dutchman pipe, which made a good environment for the eggs but was poisonous to the caterpillars. The result was that the butterfly lost nearly 70% of its habitat, and a further decline because of the intruding vine, which was not native to the area."

Tags:woodpecker, butterfly, pyygmy-possum, wetlands, conservation

Abstract
This paper discusses how, since the publication of the human genome sequence in 2001, biologists have developed and applied a range of novel technologies in an attempt to extract the valuable biological information encoded within the genome sequence. In particular, it examines they way in which we have set about decoding the human genome to date and provides an insight into some of the progressive new technologies currently under development.

Outline
Objectives and Achievements of the HGP
Computational Biology and Genome Annotation
Comparative Genomics
Functional Genomics
Genetic Perturbations
The Transcriptome
The Proteome
The Interactome
Conclusion: The Rise of Systems Biology

From the Paper
"The objectives of the HGP can be considered as four overlapping goals: 1. The construction of high resolution genetic and physical maps. 2. A high quality, complete genomic sequence. 3. Identification of sequence variation within the human genome. 4. A complete list characterising each and every gene. Both working drafts have achieved almost complete sequencing of the euchromatic DNA in the human genome14. The highly repetitive nature of heterochromatic DNA renders its sequencing difficult and it is unlikely to be well represented even in the final sequence, anticipated by April 2003. To date, the public consortium (IHGSC) report that 75% of the human genome sequence is in "finished" state. That is, a continuous sequence with gaps no larger than 150kb and an expected error rate of less than 1 in 10,000 nucleotides. The public consortium's effort also resulted in a high resolution physical map of the genome, constructed to facilitate accurate assembly of sequenced fragments16. However, the genome sequence itself represents a physical map of the highest possible resolution."

Tags:bioinformatics, organisms, proteomics, transcriptome

Abstract
This paper explains that tuna is the most profitable and important fish species; thereby, at least six species of tuna fish are either on the verge of the endangered list or nearing extinction altogether. The author points out that the major causes of this depletion of tuna are modern commercial fishing practices and fish pens. The paper concludes that marine biologists say that the only way to let the tuna species recover is through a moratorium on tuna fishing.

Table of Contents
Overview of the Tuna Population
Causes of Depletion
Solutions

From the Paper
"In the oceans around Australia, the Southern bluefin is often caught using the purse-seine method. Instead of hooks, fishers use fine nets to enclose the fish. Currently, there are an estimated 3.5 million such fishing vessels scouring the ocean for edible fish. Many are equipped with sonar equipment and satellite navigation. These nets can snare up to 120,000 pounds of fish during one run. The most modern of these trawlers have their own freezers and facilities. Because the catch can be processed on board, these fishing boats can remain at sea for months at a time."

Tags:skipjack, canned, bluefin, yellowfin, sushi

Abstract
This paper discusses how xenotransplantation, the transfer of cells, tissues and organs from other species into humans, is a topic that has started to gain considerable interest among biologists today. It examines how these types of procedures could completely revolutionize modern medicine and how there are many physical and ethical risks associated with both research and implementation of xenotransplantation. Such risks include rejection and the introduction of novel diseases into the human species.

From the Paper
"Ultimately, animal experimentation can be warranted by the fact that while no amount of benefit could justify any harm to human research subjects, even extreme harm and pain for animal research subjects could be justified by the potential benefit to human beings (Bishop and Nelson, 2001). As well, it is generally thought that, especially with animals such as pigs, if we are willing to kill them for their meat, then we should be willing to kill them for their organs in order to save human lives. This view is undermined, however by some popular views that animals should not be killed for any human purpose."

Tags:heart, organ, pig, transplant, disease

Abstract
This paper relates that Barbour's book Religion and Science: Historical and Contemporary Issues" takes a chronological approach starting with the medieval picture of the Universe as a synthesis between Aristotelian cosmology and Christian theology. The author points out that Barbour argues that nowhere is the divide between religion and science wider than in the debate between biologists and theologians and, in particular, in the debate between evolutionists and creationists, which goes to the very core of the divide between science and religion. The paper relates that evolution is a process of change over time that refers to the formation and development of life on earth. The idea that all living things evolved from simple organisms and changed through the ages to produce millions of species is known as the theory of organic evolution.

From the Paper
"In his book, Barbour discusses the knowledge of historical geology prior to Darwin, and how Cuvier had reconstructed fossilized bones from extinct species, using these reconstructions to point out, to his students, that "a variety of creatures had been produced by special acts of divine intervention". Barbour the discusses the work of Hutton, who, through his research on large-scale geological processes, such as volcanoes and sedimentation, had concluded that these processes, acting across geological time, could act to provide different life forms with different habitats, and could also act to destroy life forms at different times to make way for other, new, life forms. Thus, Barbour argues, using Hutton's work as a prime example, "the need to reinterpret the Biblical accounts of the creation of living things was apparent to most literate persons long before Darwin's specific views made this need more acute"."

Tags:aquinas, scopes, organisms, darwin, bible