Biochemistry and Technology Essay Example for Free

Biochemistry and Technology Essay What specific topic did you choose to research and evaluate? (2 points) -I chose genetic engineering/recombinant DNA technology/transgenesis of biotechnology to research and evaluate because that interests me the most, personally. List the resources that you used in your research of your topic. (3 points) I used sites such as, wikipedia.org, and slideshare.net. Describe, in a few paragraphs, the biotechnology that you researched. How is it currently being used and/or what are the hopes for its use in the future? (10 points) -Genetic engineering is an area in biotechnology that induces cell alterations in any kind of organism. It is based on artificial manipulation and transfer of genetic material from one organism to another. Basically the cells coded in with the new genetic information will pass those selected traits on to their offspring. Genetic combinations might be useful but not often found in nature. Genetic engineering now a days, is used in medicine to produce insulin and growth hormones, for those who lack it. The genes in humans are isolated using enzymes produced by bacteria which cleave DNA at specific base pairs, and then inserted into a a virus. The virus then is inserted into the bacteria DNA, ten the bacteria produces the hormones, which are then collected and given to patients who most need them. The hope for genetic engineering is soon a cure can be found for diseases by either inserting a corrected gene or even performing a genetic surgery. Currently many pregnant women like to have the fetuses screened for genetic defects so it can allow them and there physician to prepare for the arrival of the child who may need to have special needs. Describe the positive aspects of this biotechnology, being as specific as possible. (5 points) -One possible benefit for genetic engineering is is that with gene therapy, a fetus a genetic defect could be treated and even cured before it is born. Specific traits or characteristics can be inserted in a species, for example pest resistant genes inserted into crops to enable more crops to be harvested. Artificially produce vital hormones or proteins that are essential by inserting the coding genes into bacteria cells.†¨ Describe the negative aspects of this biotechnology, being as specific as possible. (5 points) -Genetic pollution occurs where the artificially produced species reproduce at a higher rate compared to the wild species present and cause extinction. Species that are produced have side effects such as a short life span, prone to diseases and mutations and physical defects. Expensive and advance technologies need to produce and maintain genetically engineered species. Hybrid species created may harbor new statins of diseases or viruses that is produced from the altered genes. Based on your research, what is your conclusion about whether or not this biotechnology should be used? Be sure to explain your answer. (5 points) In my opinion, I think biotechnology can benefit us all in a lot of different ways, but only if we use it right and only if we are really in need of it. For example, I think genetic engineering could help actually save a lot of lives and troubles that one might have when born. If treated right, a disease or disorder can be cured before one is born.

The Importance Of A Cardiovascular System Physical Education Essay

The Importance Of A Cardiovascular System Physical Education Essay The heart is the powerhouse of the cardiovascular system. It pumps the blood throughout the body; it is a double pump because it pumps blood in two different directions. The main parts of the hearts are the vena cava, the pulmonary trunk, the pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, the left and right atrium, the left and right ventricle, the septum, the chordate tendineae and the aorta. The heart is shaped kind of like a cone. It is located behind the protective rib cage. The heart is made of cardiac muscle which means it can work constantly without getting tired or needing a break. Your heart is so powerful that in just one hour, it can produce enough energy to life nearly a tonne of weight a yard above the ground and beats approximately 30,000,000 to 40,000,000 times a year. Blood enters the heart through the vena cava. The inferior vena cava brings in blood from the body and the superior vena cava brings in blood from the head. From the vena cava, blood moves into the right atrium which then sends the blood into the right ventricle through the tricuspid valve. The right ventricle then sends blood through pulmonary the pulmonary semi lunar valve and into the pulmonary trunk and then into the pulmonary arteries which take the blood to the lungs. Blood must travel to the lungs to gather oxygen. The pulmonary veins carry the oxygen rich blood back to the heart and into the left atrium. The blood is then sent to the left ventricle and then to the aorta where it is pumped into the aorta and to the rest of the body. The heart does not receive oxygen from the blood that runs through it; it receives blood from coronary arteries. When a coronary artery is blocked, it causes a lack of oxygen to the heart and the heart will die. However, a blockage in a coronary artery does not always cause a heart attack; it can also cause angina. Angina causes chest pain and pain to the left arm and shoulder. If an individual experiences these symptoms, they should see a physician as soon as possible as surgery may be needed to clear the blockage. Heart rate is how many times your heart beats per minute. Heart rate is determined by how hard the heart has to work to move blood through the body; the harder the heart has to work, the higher the heart rate. Heart rate is lowest at rest and highest when stressed. To check your heart rate, find your pulse. You can find your pulse in your wrist (radial artery), neck (carotid artery), back of knee (Popliteal artery), inside of elbow (brachial artery), and in the groin (femoral artery). The wrist and neck are the most common places to find your pulse. Once you have found your pulse, count how many times your heart beats for fifteen seconds then multiply that number by four. This number represents how many times your heart beats per minute. Average resting heart rate is usually between seventy and eighty beats per minute unless you are Lance Armstrong; he was known to have a resting heart rate of thirty-two to thirty-four beats per minute. Even though the Ancient Greeks believed that blood vessels carried air, vessels carry blood. You have so many blood vessels in your body that one square inch of skin contains three yards of blood vessels, and if all the blood vessels of the body were laid out end to end they could go around the equator at least two and a half times. Oxygenated blood travels through arteries. Artery walls have three layers; the first layer is squamous epithelium called tunica intima. The middle layer is the thickest of the three layers and is made up of smooth muscle that can contract to regulate blood pressure and flow; it is called tunica media. The outer layer of artery walls is made of fibrous connective tissue close to the middle layer but is loose connective tissue farther from the middle layer. The outer layer is known as tunica adventitia. Arteries branch into smaller arterioles. Arterioles are arteries that are barely visible to the naked eye. They are under 0.5mm in diameter. Arterioles branch into capillaries which are extremely small. Capillary walls are only one cell thick; in fact, capillaries are so small that it takes ten of them to make up the width of one human hair. Even though capillaries are very small, they form vast networks. Capillaries are so important because Oxygen and nutrients like glucose are exchanged through them and to the body. Veins take blood back to the heart. First, venules, small veins, take blood from capillaries and into a vein. The structure of vein walls is quite similar but vein walls are thinner. Because most veins have to travel upwards to reach the heart, they have to fight gravity to get the blood back up there so veins come equipped with valves which keep blood from flowing downwards. Veins that carry blood from the head do not have valves because blood coming from the head does not have to fight the force of gravity. If valves dont close properly it can cause major problems; this is called venous reflux disease. If the veins dont close, deoxygenated blood cant get back to the heart. This causes severe tissue damage. Symptoms include aching, burning, swelling, itching, discolouration and ulcers. There are approximately five litres of blood in the human body and it is the glue that holds the cardiovascular system together; without it there would be no need for a heart of blood vessels. Blood carries oxygen, fights infection and stops bleeding and only two parts of the body can survive without blood: the lens and cornea of the eye. Blood is made up of three parts: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells are made in the bone marrow and there are approximately 5,000,000 red blood cells in just one drop of blood. Red blood cells carry oxygen and carbon dioxide throughout the body. Red blood cells that carry oxygen are red and red blood cells that carry carbon dioxide are purple. They are shaped like concave disks. Sometimes the body does not have enough red blood cells and this causes anemia. Anemia is usually caused by a lack of iron. Symptoms include lack of energy and a pale skin colour. White blood cells also originate from the bone marrow. White blood cells are translucent and have a nucleus. White blood cells use proteins and enzymes to fight infections. There are five types of white blood cells: basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes. Though most white blood cells only live for a short time, some live for months or even years. Platelets are tiny cell fragments that are born in the bone marrow with red and white blood cells. Platelets aid in clotting so when a blood vessel is damaged, platelets come to the rescue and seal the leak. Sometimes, platelets dont do their job and cause hemophilia. What that means is clotting does not occur so the slightest bump can cause bleeding to joints. This can cause nerve damage and muscular atrophy. Though strokes affect the brain, they are really a problem with the circulatory system. They are caused when platelets do their job a little too well and cause a blockage to an artery leading to the head (usually the carotid artery). If an artery leading to the head is blocked, the brain cannot receive oxygen and this causes a portion of the brain to die. Individuals suffering from a stroke usually have early warning signs like numbness, blindness or slurred speech. Those warning signs usually exist even after a stroke and a stroke can even cause paralysis but these effects are not permanent. After a stroke, the individual can usually be rehabilitated and the damaged portion of the brain can again become functional but the person may never be the same again. A common problem with the circulatory system is hypertension. Hypertension is better known has high blood pressure. Though hypertension is usually caused by smoking, lack of exercise, obesity, or diabetes, it can also be hereditary. A sphygmomanometer-better known as a blood pressure cuff- measures blood pressure-two pressures, actually. The blood pressure cuff measures systolic pressure and diastolic pressure. Systolic pressure is high when the ventricles have contracted and diastolic is low when the ventricles have relaxed. If your diastolic pressure is greater than ninety or systolic pressure is greater than one-hundred-forty, you have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is often called a silent killer which means most people arent aware they have it until they have a heart attack of stroke. Medications and life style changes can help control blood pressure but the best way to control it is to keep a healthy diet (low in salt), exercise regularly and have your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. Arrhythmia is a heart condition. It is basically just an irregular heartbeat. Common symptoms are heart palpitations or pounding in the chest; that means your heart is beating irregularly fast. Other symptoms include light headedness, fainting, shortness of breath and fatigue; these are symptoms of your heart beating irregularly slow. If your heart is beating too slowly, your brain does not receive enough oxygen and neither does the rest of your body. Sometimes, surgeries can be done to get the heart to beat regularly but they arent always successful. More common treatments include medications and life style changes. The very best thing you can do for your cardiovascular system is exercise regularly and be sure to have a healthy diet. This will help to prevent disorders in the cardiovascular system but does not always keep them from occurring. Though many things can go wrong with the cardiovascular system, worse things would happen without it and all life on earth as we know it would end. Blood goes on a journey so spectacular that none of us can experience it.

Discuss the meaning of childhood

Discuss the meaning of childhood The idea of a child is contested throughout the world. It is first important to distinguish the difference between the terms child and childhood. The dictionary defines a child as a boy or girl from the time of birth until he or she is an adult, or a son or daughter of any age which is a very vague generalization (Cambridge dictionary, 2009) Defining the word childhood presents similar problems, as again the dictionary is of very little assistance merely stating that childhood is the time when someone is a child (Cambridge dictionary, 2009). It is therefore essential to find a more valid definition of a child. Many factors affect the way a childhood is defined, such as the period of history in which the characterization was developed as well as the culture it has transpired from. The thesis of what a child and what childhood is will not be the same globally, although there may be similar themes around which the definition is based. These similarities often include the use of age as a boundary for childhood, the exploration of psychological and biological aspects to childhood and the concept of independence. Mills (2003: 8) also outlines the cultural, geographical, historical and gender based theories on what childhood is. A child in a third world country will have experiences that are a polar opposite to that of a typical child from a western country. This difference in experiences therefore has an effect on the definition given by that particular culture as to what childhood is. Ergo, an important question that arises is whether childhood is shortened by experience or enriched. The UK defines a child as any person, regardless of gender, under the age of eighteen, in accordance with UN policy based upon the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (NSPCC, 2009).This is a basic biological definition of a child that is accepted by the majority of UN countries. Gamage (1992) however argues that childhood end around the age of ten. Clearly, defining childhood is not a clear cut task. There are different angles to look at when defining childhood from a socio-economic perspective. Cultural differences are a massive factor that needs to be taken into account when attempting to define childhood. Culture affects the way a child is seen which in turn affects the individual child and how they perceive their early role in society. It is the variety in culture globally which leads to ethical complications in cross-cultural adoption, as the UNCRC outlines that a child has the right to know and practice its cultures traditions, however if a child is uprooted from its original setting, does that mean that it should disregard the surrounding it began life in favour of adopting new traditions and languages? We often act in an ethnocentric style which is the opinion that ones own way of life is natural, correct, indeed the only true of being human (Schultz and Lavenda 1990: 32) Ethnocentrism can even be seen in the UNCRC. Whilst it complies with human rights, it can be seen to clash with individual societies for example; some tribes have entirely different traditions and regimes for the treatment of children compared to that outlined in the UN legislation. It is unfair to say that a tribes way of doing things is incorrect yet some of their traditions can be seen as cruel and as infringing the articles of the UNCRC. The ignorance between cultures can create an atmosphere of fear. The lack of understanding we have for unknown societies makes it difficult for us to understand their traditions and how they affect their societies definition of childhood. New problems arise however if we become all consumed with legislation and political correctness for example in Britain schools have begun to replace their nativity plays with a more generalised holiday themed performance. The attempts to be politically correct are preventing British children from learning about their own culture. Nutbrown (1996 ) refers to seeing children as passive recipients of knowledge as adults in waiting which is interesting as it leans towards the idea that children are perhaps not people in their own rights, merely half filled vessels. This is obviously a very odd perspective, as it is taking away the idea of childhood being a key stage in its own right, and focusing on the concept of it just being part of the development to becoming an adult. Nutbrown points out the difficulties in this view, as it infers that the world created for children is not based on their contemporary needs. She writes Perspectives on childhood that include the concept of children as adults in waiting do not value children as learners and therefore create systems of educating and designing curricula, that can be narrow minded rather than open minded and which transmit to children rather than challenge children to use their powers as thinkers and nurture their humanity. Kakar (1981: 18) points out that this is not a global view, and as always, culture is critical to defining childhood. Kakar claims that the word childhood is a fully meaningful word-in-itself in certain areas in countries such as India and China. This emphasis on the word means that the period of life known as childhood is to these cultures an individually important part of life, not just a prerequisite to adulthood. It is particularly interesting to compare different experts key social constructions of childhood. Richard Mills (2003: 9) looks at the ideas of children as innocent, apprentices, and vulnerable whereas in a rather different approach Chris Jenks (1990: 36) explores children as savage, Dionysian and Apollonian. Mills concept of an apprentice being a construction of childhood links to Nutbrown as it refers to the idea that children are merely adults in training. This is a persistent theme throughout defining childhood. Mills, when referring to children as innocent, claims that they are in need of protection, and are representative of good and purity. He talks about the child developing through the gradual acquiring of secret knowledge. For Postman these secrets are to do with sexual relations, money, violence, illness, death and language (Mills ) If Postman is correct in saying that obtaining such information equates to the end of childhood, then by that understanding, it is fair to say that a child who has suffered sexual abuse or the death of a loved one is no longer a child. Postmans ideas can be linked to the ideas of class defining childhood. It is generally fair to say that children from more financially stable backgrounds appear to have in general a more idyllic childhood than those less fortunate. However this doesnt necessarily increase the time that they are a child if Postman is to be believed, as class has little impact on how or when a child discovers the adult secrets. Obviously they are less likely to encounter child labour, however they are not automatically protected from death or sexual knowledge. In a broader sense, parallels to this can be seen internationally, for example, the chances of a child being in labour instead of education are far higher in India than they are in France. The economic standing of a country has a knock on effect on how children are viewed socio-economically. In poorer countries childhood is cut short due to a need for additional income, whereas in most Western countries, children enjoy a full education whilst earning a living is down to the parents. Gender is also a socio-economic aspect of defining childhood, as it is generally believed that girls mature sooner than boys. Does this therefore mean that if you are female, your childhood has been cut short in comparison to your male peers? If the answer is yes, then this should perhaps impact upon laws and legislation. For example, it could be possible that girls could have a younger age of employment to that currently enforced for both genders. This is not necessarily fair on either boys or girls, but it could be a possible way to further define childhood. It is clear that children are defined differently depending on the socio-economic background they come from, whilst this makes it difficult to pinpoint a pr ecise definition of childhood, it is critical to appreciate all different views and ideas, whether or not they comply with our own views. Historically, the constructions of childhood span a range of different phases. Perhaps most importantly is the work of Aries (Palaiologou 2009) who claims that childhood as a concept wasnt even around until the sixteenth century at which point in England, the Christian church began to get involved in educating children with very basic Sunday schools. The ideas out forth by Aries are a source of much debate as they raise a lot of questions and there are theorists who disagree with the ideas put forth by Aries and who claim that childhood has always been present throughout history. If Mills is to be believed when talking about children being in need of both physical and emotional protection, then surely Aries cannot be correct. The parental urge to protect must have been somewhat present throughout all of history, almost like an animal instinct. A key argument against Aries is that in Ancient Greece there was a development of the idea of education in a more formal style. However, this doesnt necessarily mean that childhood was seen as a particularly separate stage, and it still only existed very loosely. Prominent aspects of British childhoods such as fairytales did not exist purely for children in Ancient Greece, but as entertainment for the whole family. In his book Centuries of Childhood Aries highlights the fact that as soon as children were able to exist without needing constant care then they became seen in the same way as adults. Yet, there is still a stage where it is recognized that the infant needs care and attention from an adult, so this can be seen as recognition of childhood. One explanation for this limitation on recognizing childhood as a key phase has groundings in the economic needs throughout history. Children were often required to work from a young age as is still often the case and so this had the effect of often calling a halt to their time as a child. The rise in popularity of Christianity led to the beginning of childhood as we know it today. The concepts of children as innocent as mentioned previously began to materialize, and with it a stronger sense of the need to protect the younger generation. The church stepped in at the helm of education and began to mould the youth. There was a focus on removing the devilish side from children, and it can be seen that the church was leaning towards indoctrination rather than education. Evangelicals took it upon themselves to fight against the possibility of children committing sins. Along with the idea of children as innocent, had come the idea that they as the future, needed to be washed of sins the implication being that they had already sinned. Obviously families were quite enthusiastic about this need to remove the devil and keep their children pure. It wasnt until 1876 that education became compulsory for all children aged ten and under. However, childhood was still seen as just a prerequisite to adulthood, rather than a defined period of life in its own right. It wa s not just education and work that came early to children throughout history either. Marriage and children were on the agenda at the same time we would be moving into junior schools. The laws for children were no different to that of adults and so children enjoyed no rights of their own. This is not dissimilar to criminal law in America, where children are tried in a similar way to adults. It wasnt until 1889 when children began to be recognized legally, and some pinpoint this as the beginning of childhood as we know it. Throughout history the definition of childhood has been vague and insipid until more recently, however it is key to look back at how childhood was viewed to understand how to define it in a more contemporary fashion. The specific needs and rights of children help us to define them further. The UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of Children) is a piece of UN legislation aimed to protect children globally, as well as outline a cohesive set of guidelines for the rights of the child. As previously stated, the UN outlines the age of a child as being up to eighteen years of age for the majority of UN countries. The articles found in the UNCRC are not massively dissimilar to those based around general human rights. The main difference between the legal rights of a child and adult is, as articles five and eighteen outline, stating that the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child [is with the parent] (UNCRC, Childrens Rights Alliance) This can be seen as a limitation to the childs rights, as they are somewhat dependant on an adult to ensure the rights outlined are provided for them. The legislation came about due to political pressure from various UN countries, w hich led to a domino effect as countries fell to pressure from more major players in the UN collaboration. The overall aim was seen as a way of making children equals in the world and redefine the way adults view them as completely separate from culture and society. It is also important in outlining the role of parents in a childs life with article eighteen focusing on parental responsibilities outlining that the [parents] have the primary responsibility for the upbringing and development of the child . Often the blame for a failure on behalf of parents is laid at the door of the government and various departments designed to ensure the safety of children. Whilst it is valid to say that in cases, such as the recent Baby P, some responsibility for such tragedies does need to be dealt to official bodies, it is also key to note that the parents or carers are, according to legislation, the people mainly responsible for the protection of their child and as such should not be able to enti rely pass of their wrong doings as the fault of the government for not monitoring them sufficiently. It is interesting to note that the UNCRC is has the highest rate of ratification compared to all other conventions, with only Somalia and the USA rejecting the convention. It has also been seen to directly affect the policies of the countries involved, for example, in Britain the introduction of Every Child Matters. It can also be said that the legislation has assisted in changing traditional views of childhood. Children traditionally were often seen as half-formed adults rather than as individuals. In some ways, by defining childrens rights, and then being so similar to those of adults, its enabled people to stop seeing children as yet to be and instead focus on them as they are. Issues with the UNCRC legislation however, are the differences in the range of cultures it is applied to sometimes clash with the outlined rights of the child. This raises the problem of what is more import ant, culture or the fulfilment of a childs needs and the protection of their rights. The UNCRC itself outlines the importance of keeping children connected to their own heritage and culture with article thirty in particular focusing on the rights of children to enjoy his or her own culture.[and] to participate fully in cultural and artistic life. However it is sometimes difficult to comply with this without limiting the effectiveness of other aspects of the legislation. Also, whilst the UNCRC is an official agreement, it is not a law. There are no real penalties for not complying with the various parts of the legislation, and it is incredibly difficult to monitor. Countries make reports every five years on development, which gives a rather stinted, separated view of how countries are implementing different schemes to corroborate with the legislation put forth. Unfortunately the UNCRC also raises some rather big political issues, such as the idea that the modern, western world is per haps enforcing unattainable and unrealistic goals upon poorer countries. Not only does this lead to their underperformance, but also to conflict between their cultures and the legislation they are being presented with. Also, do people want to see children differently, and do children want their roles to change? All these are major issues raised by the implementation on this global legislation upon unequal and incredibly different countries. However, it isnt all negative. Overall, the positives of the UNCRC far outweigh the negatives as the need to protect and provide for the needs of children is crucial, and this legislation goes a long way in ensuring that children are protected in a suitable manner, even if its effectiveness doesnt span the whole globe in an efficient manner. Children who are in labour rather than education are another construction of childhood to look at. Obviously the UNCRC has a clause aimed at preventing children from having full time jobs, especially that intrude with education but this cannot be successfully be implemented globally. Again, based on previously discussed concepts of childhood, it surely makes sense that if a child is at work then this is a blatant trespass upon their rights as outlined by the UNCRC and again, children are being thrust into a world of adult secrets. There is no glamorous side to child labour, the hours are often extreme, the pay laughable and the job itself more than often horrific for example young children forced into the sex trade. Their innocence robbed. Jobs such as this are in direct defiance of article thirty-two of the convention which states children are to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work which is hazardous. It is from the convention that a minimum age was applied to all jobs in the UK and other countries, and hours workable limited also. However, there are still approximately three hundred and fifty-two million children in labour deemed hazardous globally. The problem is that child labour is often not a choice for the child or the family, as they are forced into jobs due to economic desperation. Poverty is often so crippling that people have no option other than to allow their child to work. Bonded labour is common is some countries, which is where the child is basically pawned off for a sum of money, in exchange for their labour. Again, the UNCRC is placed under strain in this situation, as whilst such activity is clearly in breach of the legislation, it is fair to say that the UNCRC cannot prevent a family earning a living through any means possible in order to avoid complete poverty. This obviously has an impact on defining childhood, as it is difficult to see a boy of seven who does a sixteen-hour shift in a sweat-shop as still b eing a child in the middle of childhood. Biologically and in accordance to law, he would be a child, but his obviously different lifestyle, compared to a typical British child, prevents him from being a true child. In conclusion, it is incredibly difficult to define childhood. In the contemporary climate, it is fair to say that a basis around age, as is stated in the UNCRC and a majority of countries domestic policies. The age of eighteen is perhaps too high from a biological stance, as puberty has basically reached its conclusion by this time, however psychologically it can be seen as advantageous. As has been highlighted, children are not emotionally ready for what may be referred to as adult topics, such as death, sex and money. The frequent introduction of these topics into childhoods seems to have no benefit to the child, in fact it seems in most cases to be detrimental to childrens happiness. Child labour, in particular the sex trade, is horrific not just biologically as children are expected to work long hours in jobs their bodies are not yet prepared for, but also the emotional impact it has can be seen to devastate lives. So in this sense, the age barrier often used when defining child hood is incredibly important. The legislation used to protect children is also key to defining them. The UNCRC, obviously outlines age as a specific part of the legislation, but also, looking at the rights themselves, and the emphasis on the need for protection and the focus on development is incredibly telling when trying to define childhood. As well as being an period of both biological and emotional fragility, usually defined by age, it is also a time during which individuals are dependent on adults, not just for material things, but also emotional support and love. Also, looking back through history highlights the importance of not underestimating the importance of childhood as a period of life in its own right, rather than ignoring it as just a build-up to adult life. Obviously in some ways, it is a developmental period, preparing individuals for the future, however it is still a distinct section of life in its own right and should be valued as such. The implications of the different constructions of childhood are varied throughout the world. The historical aspects outline the importance of not ignoring childhood as a period in its own right. If we try to force an adult-centred curriculum on children rather than nurturing their abilities in the here and now it will lead to a generations of people confused about their identities, due to the lack of time they were given to develop themselves. In terms of schooling and policies for children, focusing on Britain, the major change so far has been the implementation of the Every Child Matters (ECM) (Dcsf) scheme designed to prevent repeats of the tragedy of Victoria Climbie , the young African girl who was tortured by her family until she died. It also stems from the UNCRC. The purpose of ECM is to unite the various agencies concerned with the wellbeing of children, such as social services, schools and health workers. From this, the Common Assessment Framework was developed to enable c hildren with additional needs to get the support they require. However, this scheme has its difficulties, particularly with from the multi-agency angle, as all the various services have a different perspective of the child and the problems each individual is facing. It can even be fair to say that each body has its own perspective on what childhood is, and these often dont match up. Even little things such as the style of observation each body undertakes on a child presents a problem, as often entirely different conclusions are drawn by each service. It is a positive though, that the government has recognized the need to unite different ways of perceiving children to create a more rounded, realistic analysis of children and their specific needs. Cambridge Dictionary (2009) Online Dictionary: Child [online] Available: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=13062dict=CALDtopic=family-relations-in-general , Cambridge [Accessed 12th December 2009] Cambridge Dictionary (2009) Online Dictionary: Childhood [online] Available: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=13075dict=CALDtopic=children-and-babies , Cambridge [Accessed 12th December 2009] Childrens Rights Alliance (2008) [online] Available: http://www.childrensrights.ie/files/UNCRC-CRC1989.pdf , Dublin [Accessed 21st December] DCSF (2009) Every Child Matters [online] Available: http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/about/aims/aims/ Crown, London [Accessed 21st December] Gamage, P (1992) Standing Conference on Education and training of teachers In Mills, J and Mills, R (ed.) (2003) Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood London: RoutledgeFalmer, page 8. Jenks, C (1990) Perspectives of Childhood: Summery. In J. Mills and R. Mills (ed.) (2003) Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood London: RoutledgeFalmer, page 30 Kakar (1981).Starting points. In Nutbrown (ed.) (1996) In Childrens Rights and Early Education Paul Chapman Publishing Mills, R (2003) Perspectives of Childhood: Summery. In J. Mills and R. Mills (ed.) (2003) Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood London: RoutledgeFalmer, page 8. Mills, R (2003) Perspectives of Childhood: Summery. In J. Mills and R. Mills (ed.) (2003) Childhood Studies: A Reader in perspectives of childhood London: RoutledgeFalmer, page 9. Nutbrown, C (1996) Starting points. In Nutbrown, C (ed.) Childrens Rights and Early Education Paul Chapman Publishing NSPCC (2009) What is the definition of a child? [online] Available: http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/questions/definition_of_a_child_wda59396.html , London [Accessed 12th December 2009] Aries, P (1960) In Palaiologou, I (2009) unpublished lecture notes from Constructions of Childhood 12th October Schultz, Lavenda (1990) In Palaiologou, I (2009) unpublished lecture notes from Constructions of Childhood 23rd November

Humans Effect on Nature in the 20th Century Essay -- Essays Papers

Humans Effect on Nature in the 20th Century Nuclear Waste With the dawn of the nuclear age in the early 1900’s, came a problem that became a force to be reckoned with. Its name is nuclear waste. This is yet another harmful side effect brought on by man’s drive to find the cheapest and most powerful source of energy technology has to offer. Nuclear waste, ranging from harmful radiation caused by nuclear meltdown to unused military weaponry, has been a serious issue in the past few decades, and is a perfect example of humans effect on nature. Many would argue that the history of nuclear energy and nuclear waste began in 1898 when Marie Curie discovered two radioactive elements; polonium and radium.1 The nuclear scene was relatively quiet until 1838, when a German scientist, Otto Hahn was successful in demonstrating nuclear fission.2 This set off an alert that reached the ears of Theodore Roosevelt, who was President of the United States at the time. With the threat of Germany making a nuclear bomb, the nuclear race was on. The Manhattan Project was launched in an effort to secretly build a nuclear bomb before the Germans. The most commonly known events in nuclear waste history were the near catastrophic meltdowns at Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, and Chernobyl power plant in The Soviet Union. Radiation leakage was minimal at Three Mile Island, however, Chernobyl experienced the release of massive quantities of radioactive materials accompanied by a dangerous fire.3 People from all nations came in contact with radioactive particles which the wind blew around the Earth. These two events sparked nuclear awareness by the general public as well as governmental programs that... ...only aid in cleaning up and preventing nuclear waste, but also to inform and educate the public. Until more effective methods of nuclear waste management are devised, the energy hungry U.S. will have to put up with the environmental parasite it has created. Notes 1. "Curie, Marie" Funk and Wagnalls 27 Mar. 1999 2. "Hahn, Otto" Funk and Wagnalls 3. Meshkati, "Chernobyl" 27 March, 1999 4. Konrad B. Kauskopf, Radioactive Waste Disposal and Geology (London: Chapman and Hall, 1988) 10-11 5. "mixed waste" 28 March, 1999 6. "mixed waste" 28 March, 1999 7. "Yucca Mountain Homepage" 28 March, 1999

My Personal Goals :: essays research papers

My Personal Goals The personal goal  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  s I want to achieve as a student at University of Phoenix is to receive a college degree and make my mother proud. I know once that has been achieved, my future prospects are limitless. I am a product of a parent who grew up on welfare, but not only obtained her Bachelor’s degree, but went back to school two more times to obtain her Doctorate of Education. Her mother sacrificed plenty to send her to college and my mother always knew the power of education.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As my sister and I were growing up we would always listen to my mother tell stories about how she had to walk about 10 miles to and from school, but she was never discouraged. She would also tell us about having to go to the cotton fields on some days to work and then go to school. My mother worked at a very early age and saved for college any time she had extra money to spare. With the money my mother saved for college, the college fund my grandmother set up, and a partial scholarship, my mother was able to attend Prairie View A&M University. She decided to go into nursing, because she enjoyed helping people. After 4 very hard years, my mother graduated magna cum laude from college. She told us that was the best day of her and my grandmother’s life. My grandmother told her she was so proud of her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Eight months after my mother’s graduation, my grandmother passed away. My mother was devastated, but she knew she had to go on because it was what her mother would want. One year later, my mother got married and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah where she found a job as a pediatric nurse at the Children’s Hospital. She worked at the hospital about a year and then decided to go back to school to receive her Master’s degree. Her husband was not happy with her decision to do such a thing, and was not supportive of her at all. At that time my mother realized she had made the best choice to go back to school because it was apparent her marriage would not last.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My mother graduated sum cum laude from University of Utah and was divorced shortly thereafter. The relationship became so strained while she was in school, by the time she graduated; she and her husband had grown far apart.

Service Above Self

Ever since I was a child, my teachers, friends, parents, and family have always complemented me for my kindheartedness, determination, and of course my leadership. I have never been one to judge others, I always work hard in everything I do, and love being able to be in charge. My morals were built by people that surround me, specifically family. My mom has always taught me that everyone is the same and not one person is better than the next. This is something that has followed me throughout my life and is still one of my main priorities. I take great pride in being pen-minded and kindhearted, because I believe that most of the problems we have today is because of certain groups of people feeling more superior than another, and people's lack to do good for others with no benefit for themselves. Another problem that is here is people are not determined to fix the problems that our nation has and instead work around them. I am not one to walk around or run away from a problem, but I am determined to work hard and to not only get rid of the problem but take initiative to make sure it does not happen again. I believe that if everyone lived with this, the world ould become a better place by the minute. Unfortunately, the opposite is occurring at the moment and new problems emerge as time goes by. I am very proud of being a leader rather than a follower for many reasons. One, it gives me the opportunity to express my views, beliefs, morals, and concerns. Two, I continually try to make a difference in society for a greater good, and lastly, it gives me individuality in a good society. This good society is a major factor in many of today's problems. People tend to do what other people do, even if it is against their personal views. This leads to many problems because leaders with the wrong ntentions can easily be followed by those who are afraid of being their own person and leadership. I am proud to be a kindhearted, determined leader and have demonstrated it in more ways than one. During my years in high school, I have led my football team to greater heights by making the play offs for the first time in many years, they also helped me to be the first male All-State player in schools history. I also helped lead my schools basketball team win the school’s first state championship in any sport. I have shown my leadership around the school and was given the honor to be Mr. EMCA; this ward is based on a student’s excellent Christian testimony, attitude, extracurricular involvement, and overall best represents the school and what we believe in. The award is given to one male in the senior class chosen by the faculty, staff, and administration. I love that I have been said to be a great person and that many people look up to me. I work a lot at my church also by ushering and helping keep the church clean on work days. In The Bible there have been many instances of people using service above self like in Mark 1:29-39 Jesus used service ab ove self â€Å"From church, they went straight home to Simon and Andrew’s house long with James and John. They told him that Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever. But when he came in, he took her by the hand and she got up, the fever gone, and began to serve them. That evening, as the sun set, people started bringing their sick and deranged to the door – the whole city turned out – and he cured many with various illnesses and cast out many demons, but without allowing them to speak – they knew him. The next morning at O-dark thirty, Jesus got up and went out to be alone in prayer. But Simon and the others tracked him down and told him, â€Å"Everyone’s out looking for you. He said, â€Å"Let’s head out to the next few towns and get the word out there. That’s my mission. † So off they went, all over Galilee, speaking in churches and expelling demons. † Also Gal 5:13 â€Å"For, brethren, ye have been call ed unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. † God is telling us to serve others not just oneself. Also in Gal 5:14 â€Å"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. † God tells us to love our neighbors. Or in Gal 5:14 â€Å"For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt ove thy neighbour as thyself. † or Gal 5:22 â€Å"But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, faith. † There are many other verses in the bible like Mark 10:43-45 â€Å"But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. †and 1 Cor 13:4-7 â€Å"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envi eth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, eeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. † and 1 Thes 1:3 â€Å"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. † In all of these verses, it shows that service above self is a very important thing to know and do. I really do hope that more people start to use service above self in this world.

Comparitive/Contrast Assessment on Fast Food Nation and the Jungle

*Comparative/Contrast Assessment*: Fast Food Nation **and The Jungle Similar to the many real-life stories told by Schlosser in his written depiction of the fast food industry, The Jungleby Upton Sinclair is a notable relation of the same type of horrors. Unlike Schlosser, though, Sinclair writes his book in a fictional story line, in which he included great models of figurative language and imagery that strategically capture the reader in a world full of sympathy and belief. In this manner, he uses the journey of Jurgis Rudkis to depict the conditions in the meat packing industry in the United States. Jurgis, being the main character, was not used only to reveal the harsh and hidden lives of those working and living in Packingtown, however. Sinclair also used Jurgis to portray his personal belief of capitalism being corrosive. The following quote has been taken from a review found at AssociatedContent. com. â€Å"The Jungle shows the effects of economic hardship on an immigrant family in the early 1900's. That is all it is reliably accountable for. This story is a downright attack on capitalism that the author tries to conceal behind a fictional story of a sympathy deriving family of Lithuanian Immigrants† (A Review of The Jungle, 2007). Sinclair’s attacks on the United States’ economic and governmental system immediately point out the radical side of his personality, and from there the doubt that his ideas and story are not radical in and of themselves as well begins to grow. It is with this part of his writing that Sinclair loses his rhetoric flair and ability to produce quality muckraking journalism. In order for me to be able to effectively explain how both Fast Food Nation and The Jungleare poor examples of muckraking journalism, I must first enlighten you with the definition of the actual term â€Å"muckraking†. According to Webster's New World College Dictionary 2009, muckraking is searching for and publicizing, as in newspapers, any real or alleged corruption by public officials, business executives, or other important persons (Muckraking Definition, YourDictionary. com). Muckraking journalism is then defined as the literature that displays these corruptions of society, whether effectively or not. The role of journalism in a democratic society is to report the truth, with minimal harm, and no outside interest. It should also be held accountable to its readers. Journalists are not filling this role by reporting half-truths that send people into a anic, like Fast Food Nation and even The Jungle. Starting with Fast Food Nation, I found by researching that many published book reviews had at least one major commonality: the book covers too many different aspects of the fast food industry that it came to a point where there were too many things to comprehend and analyze all at once while reading . That’s not even everything he talked about either! Throw in a plethora of statistics and facts, and you have some highly confused readers! In his work, Schlosser writes, â€Å"This is a book about fast food, the values it embodies, and the world it has made. However, it is much more than that. It is everything that anybody could ever imagine that somehow, in some unbelievably slight way, has to do with fast food. Eric Schlosser tries to associate everything from armed robbery to political bombings to the spread of a particular strain of Escherichia Coli, all with fast food companies. Schlosser discusses how and why the industry developed, current labor practices in fast food establishments, how the taste of food can now be manipulated, federal regulations (and lack thereof), television and school advertising, health issues, and the spread of fast food abroad. This book is cleverly disguised as being about fast food. It is not about fast food. It is about how evil conservat ives are and how capitalism is the cause of all that is bad in America. It is about how armed robbery has drastically increased. Fast food just happens to be mentioned quite a bit. The author constantly inserts little comments here and there that try to make even very debatable topics out to be unequivocally bad things. In my opinion, this book should come with a warning label and include a free copy of The Communist Manifesto† (Jayson D. White, Socialist Propaganda in Fast Food). Jayson D. White’s perspective here describes what many others were saying as well, telling of how Schlosser strays far and wide, devoting chapters to various aspects of the industry and then referencing other random aspects in unrelated chapters. They do not all fit neatly together, and even the jumbled picture is a frightening one. Schlosser closes Fast Food Nationby saying that â€Å"you can still have it your way† and that consumers have the choice to just say no to fast food. His hope is apparently that, armed with the information he provides, consumers will make the obvious choice and run as fast as they can from any and every fast food joint. Unfortunately, he never really addresses the question of why consumers would (and so often do) choose to purchase the products of these establishments in the first place. He never mentions the opposing argument to his own personal viewpoint, and his credibility drops with that lack of information. Instead, Schlosser inputs more and more seemingly random statistics to show his own views have â€Å"support† behind them, when in all reality, they don’t at all. Schlosser was determined to make a point, and he does so with the uncontrollable urge to exaggerate details, add in supposed â€Å"facts† and numbers, and altogether disregard the opposing viewpoint, something which is of high importance in a persuasive and informative piece of muckraking literature. This shows how Schlosser’s Fast Food Nation is a poor example to use when describing muckraking journalism. Now we can move on to The Jungle and the different viewpoints that have been written regarding the book’s contents and set-up. From the muckraking standpoint, the way Sinclair writes his fictional story is actually quite interesting and as a result a lot more persuasive and believable than Schlosser’s book which is only jam packed with statistics. The following quote is one that I feel really stands out strong from the book in regards to how imaginative and mind-painted creation Sinclair’s writing is as a whole. . The Jungle, on the other hand, is written directly form Sinclair’s personal experience of being in Packingtown for even just a week, and he already was able to smell the horrible scent, even taste the horrible scent! Sinclair’s use of figurative language really appeals to the reader, and that strengthens the reader’s opinion to side with the author. â€Å"Elzbieta sees how the sausage is doctored when she works filling casings in the sausage room. She sees how any random mix of animal parts is ground into â€Å"sausage. † Anything that is spoiled is simply dyed with chemicals like borax and packaged for sale. In addition, she watches as leftovers that have fallen on the floor of the room are scooped up, along with dead rats and other filth, and put into the grinding machine for sausage† (_The Jungle_– Upton Sinclair, Chapter 7). Not only does this quote give the reader a very nice detailed image to let them think over in the back of their minds, it also gets its point across, which is that the meatpacking plants use absolutely anything in their batches of sausages that end up being sold at the super market. As a result, this is a great muckraking example included in the book. Upon reading The Jungle and various critical analyses, I would say that the novel is actually quite nice in its overall appeal to me as a reader. With this novel, being of journalistic muckraking character, I was surprisingly persuaded for the most part with what Upton Sinclair was telling me. . In addition, unlike Fast Food Nation, I felt like the pieces of information and statistics in The Junglewere relevant to the current topic at hand in the novel, rather than just being thrown at the reader in hopes of persuading them that this statistic pertains to the aspect being discussed. Like many of these reviews, I too feel that The Jungle is not perfect; however, I do agree with many critics that the manner in which the story was written was quite appealing. I was particularly attracted to and persuaded with the story line and its continuous rising and falling actions that were filled with suspense, to the point where I actually wanted to read each and every next page so that I could find out what would happenAs a reader, I felt highly pressured to believe what was being told to me while I read Eric Schlosser’s piece of literature, and that if I don’t believe his words then I would be assisting in and attributing towards the awful-sounding statistics that were abundant in Fast Food Nation. While reading Sinclair’s novel, on the other hand, I felt relatively at ease in making my own decision, knowing that there were facts and stories laying out there for me to grasp and believe if I so chose. As a result, I was more directed to believe Sinclair’s words than the numerous statistics and â€Å"facts† trying to be shoved down my throat by Schlosser. Another aspect of The Jungle that helped capture my overall opinion, and presumably many other readers’ as well, was that of the emotional attachment with the portrayed characters and the events they were going through. Sinclair did an excellent job at creating a real life experience for the reader, as if they were the â€Å"Jurgis† in the book, creating distinct emotional reactions to the horrible reality of the meatpacking industry, which in turn establishes his pathos. However, like Schlosser, Sinclair’s downfall was his inclusion of personal political and economic system goals. Upton Sinclair's â€Å"sudden stray from the story and straightforward praise of socialism at the end of the novel reveals his narrow-minded opinion of the economy of the United States and labels him as a radical believer in socialism, just like that of Schlosser in Fast Food Nation. Sinclair’s book also hinders the reader’s knowledge of socialism because it does not reveal its negative effects. Socialism puts complete control of the economy in the hands of the government. It places a barrier on production and decreases the influence to create new products. Socialism is a less severe definition for an economy that supports communism. While Upton Sinclair wrote this novel to ‘find righteousness’ and benefit the American people he fails to foresee the negative effects of his ideas. Sinclair's novel makes it evident that many immigrants and workingmen unjustifiably suffered under capitalism, but an economy influenced by his views would not necessarily be better. † (Associated Content, 2007). By hiding the other side’s opposition, just like what Schlosser did in Fast Food Nation, author Upton Sinclair hushes his audiences’ questions by not answering them whatsoever. As you can see, although each author wrote with a different style, the authors were still not nearly as effective muckraking journalism examples as they would have been. Bibliography Fast Food Nation – by Eric Schlosser The Jungle – by Upton Sinclair http://www. yourdictionary. com/muckraking http://www. amazon. com/Fast-Food-Nation-Eric-Schlosser/product-reviews/0395977894/ref=cm_cr_pr_hist_1? e=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar http://www. complete-review. com/reviews/food/schlosse. htm http://www. amazon. com/Fast-Food-Nation-Eric-Schlosser/product-reviews/0395977894/ref=cm_cr_pr_link_next_5? ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar&pageNumber=5 http://www. bookrags. com/notes/jun/TOP1. htm http://www. enotes. com/history/q-and-a/how-did-muckraking-journalism-change-u -s-44633 http://mandatorychaos. blogspot. com/2007/11/role-of-journalism-in-democracy. html