Best way to learn: 2015

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

The Devil Fish

While working on a bigger post about the timeline of Octopus behavioral research, I came upon this book - "The Octopus; the Devil-Fish of Fiction and of Fact". Read it here on the Internet Archive – it’s available in several formats.

This piece is a colorful account by one Henry Lee of his experience with Octopuses (more properly, about some specific octopuses “with whom [he has] been on friendly terms”.) He has great, livid descriptions of octopus behavior in here, such as his account of feeding an octopus a crab against a pane of glass, so that the process could be observed:

Not a movement, not a struggle was visible or possible : each leg, each
claw, was grasped all over by suckers — enfolded in them — stretched

out to its full extent by them. The back of the carapace was

covered all over with the tenacious vacuum-discs, brought together

by the adaptable contraction of the limb, and ranged in close

order, shoulder to shoulder, touching each other ; whilst, between

those which dragged the abdominal plates towards the mouth, the

black tip of the hard, horny beak was seen for a single instant

protruding from the circular orifice in the centre of the radiation

of the arms, and, the next, had crunched through the shell, and

was buried deep in the flesh of the victim.
All in all, it’s an entertaining and informative (although scientifically questionable) read, and is one of the earliest description of octopus behavior that I have yet found free full text for - Aristotle’s descriptions in “The History of Animals” notwithstanding, a translation of which is available at the link, if you’re interested.

For hay fever sufferers, this can be one of the most miserable times of the year, thanks to grasses and trees that produce vast quantities of wind-borne pollen. Nevertheless, pollen grains are beautiful natural objects. The pollen grains above belong to a tropical plant called cup-and-saucer vine Cobaea scandens, which is pollinated by bats rather than by wind (do bats suffer from hay fever? Probably not...).

I stained the pollen with a fluorescent dye called acridine orange, which binds to the surface of the pollen grain and fluoresces yellow when you shine blue light on it - revealing this exquisite pattern of hexagons and pores (showing green here). Each pollen grain is about one fifth of a millimetre in diameter. Plant genera can often be identified by the distinctive pattern on their surface.

The outer surface of pollen is full of minute pits and chambers that contain proteins that allow a plant to recognise pollen of its own species when it lands on its stigma, and reject foreign pollen. Its these proteins that quite literally get up your nose, trigger an allergenic reaction and set you off sniffing and sneezing.

The outer casing (known as the exine) is made up of a polymer called sporopollenin, which is incredibly resistant to biodegradation - which is why palaeobotanists can recover ancient pollen samples from deep in peat bogs and lake beds and extract and identify pollen samples from plants that grew there tens of thousands of years ago. Its a branch of botany that has given some very useful insights into how plant species distributions have changed during periods of rapid climate change, like the one we are experiencing now: studying the past in this way gives an insight in what is likely to happen to plant species in the future.

Since the exine of pollen is so resilient, it passes through the gut of insects unharmed, although the pollen contents are digested. Yes, that little white speck on this bumblebees tail is bee-poo, made up of empty exines of pollen that it has eaten. Many hoverflies feed almost exclusive on pollen, leaving little piles of hoverfly poo on leaves, and I know of at least one enterprising entomologist who has collected and analysed this, in order to study hoverflys pollen diet.

During the Vietnam war Yellow Rain - yellow specks coating plants in the jungle - was believed to be the result of Communist chemical warfare. Subsequent anaysis showed that it was bee faeces, produced by vast swarms of bees that sometimes rose into the air and defecated in unison.

Cytoplasm definition and function

The Cytoplasm is the entire cell except the nucleus. Proteins are made in the cytoplasm, and many of the cells life activities take place there.

Many tiny structures called organelles are located in the cytoplasm.

Each has a particular job to do. These organelles are called mitochondria, lysosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum, centrioles, and Golgi bodies.

Mitochondria - What is mitochondria?

Mitochondria are the power producers of the cell. A cell may contain hundreds of mitochondria. These sausage-shaped structures produce almost all the energy the cell needs to live and to do its work.

Lysosome function and definition

Lysosomes are small, round bodies containing many different enzymes, which can break down many substances. For example, lysosomes help white blood cells break down harmful bacteria.

Endoplasmic Reticulum

Endoplasmic Reticulum is a complex network of membrane-enclosed spaces in the cytoplasm. The surfaces of some of the membranes are smooth. Others are bordered by ribosomes—tiny, round bodies that contain large amounts of RNA. Ribosomes are the cells manufacturing units. The proteins the cell needs in order to grow, repair itself, and perform hundreds of chemical operations, are made on the ribosomes.

Centrioles

Centrioles look like two bundles of rods. They lie near the nucleus and are important in cell reproduction.

Golgi Bodies

Golgi Bodies, also called Golgi complex or Golgi apparatus, consist of a stack of flat, bag-like structures that store and eventually release various products from the cell.

Vertumnus and Pomona Roman Gods Names

Vertumnus was the god of garden and field produce. He personifies the change of seasons, and that process of transformation in nature by means of which the leaf-buds become developed into blossoms, and the blossoms into fruit.
The change of seasons is symbolized in a myth which represents Vertumnus as metamorphosing himself into a variety of different forms in order to gain the affection of Pomona, who so loved her vocation that she abjured all thoughts of marriage. He first appears to her as a ploughman, typifying Spring; then as a reaper, to represent Summer; afterwards as a vine-gatherer, to indicate Autumn; and finally as a gray-haired old woman, symbolical of the snows of Winter; but it was not until he assumed his true form, that of a beautiful youth, that he succeeded in his suit.
Vertumnus is generally represented crowned with wheat-sheaves, and bearing in his hand a cornucopia.

POMONA

Pomona was the goddess of orchards and fruit-trees, who, according to Ovid, cares not for woods or streams, but loves her gardens and the boughs that bear the thriving fruit.
Pomona, who typifies Autumn, is represented as a lovely maiden, laden with branches of fruit-trees.

Text:
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
Author: E.M. Berens
Published: 1880

The Project Gutenberg E-Book
Produced by Alicia Williams, Keith Edkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

Morpheus God of Dreams Greek Mythology Names

Morpheus, the son of Hypnus, was the god of Dreams.
He is always represented winged, and appears sometimes as a youth, sometimes as an old man. In his hand he bears a cluster of poppies, and as he steps with noiseless footsteps over the earth, he gently scatters the seeds of this sleep-producing plant over the eyes of weary mortals.

Homer describes the House of Dreams as having two gates: one, whence issue all deceptive and flattering visions, being formed of ivory; the other, through which proceed those dreams which are fulfilled, of horn.

Text:
Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
Author: E.M. Berens
Published: 1880

The Project Gutenberg EBook
Produced by Alicia Williams, Keith Edkins and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net

wheels continued

17. The cartwheel

The bigger wheels I have seen are with Bullock carts, Horse carts and later with Tractors. Bullock carts and Horse carts are usually having two wheels connected with an axle. The cart is pulled by the animal and the pulling is transferred to the wheels. The bigger size of the wheel make the carrying weight lighter to the animal.

17a. Bullock carts with four wheels

It was in fact when I came to Chennai in 1964, first time I saw bullock carts with 4 four wheels. These wheels were of the lorry or bus. Pulling became very easy for the animal having the loading area with four wheels support. Some times a person used to support from the back with pushing.

18. Three wheel cycles and rickshaws

The rickshaws and three wheel cycles were balanced on the third single wheel in the front and breaks were applied to the back wheels unless it is an abrupt stop. The cycle rickshaws were very common on those days. They have mostly disappeared from in the roads now in Chennai. Its place has taken over by autorikshaws.

19. Four wheel vehicles

The more number of vehicles are of four wheels. All cars, vans come under the group. The light vehicle licence means a licence intended to these vehicles for driving.

20. Six wheels vehicles

The six wheel vehicles are bigger vans, buses and lorries, which have 4 wheels in the back, two on either side in addition to the two front wheels. The engine transfer the momentum to back wheels and it is transferred to the front from the back wheels. Breaks are applied on back wheel as such first. The heavy vehicle licence means a licence intended to these vehicles for driving.
21. Vehicles with more wheels

To carry the weight of heavy items trucks are some times provided with additional wheels.

21a. intelligent boy

Most of us would have heard the heard the story of intelligent boy.

Once a heavy loaded truck came through a railway bridge and got struck up half way under a railway bridge, since the height was about 2" more. All the vehicles came later formed a queue. The engineers were trying the way to remove the heavy vehicle.

One boy from a car in the queue appeared before them. He said he has got a method to solve the problem and will describe if they permit. In short the boy told to let loose a small quantity of air from the truck wheels so that the truck will lower by two inches and then it can be started with top gear so that it will release from struck up and go forward. The same was done and vehicle cleared of the railway bridge and traffic problem was solved.

22. Where wheels are most important.

While a flight is landing, the wheels have to be pushed down and the weight of the flight has to be taken by the wheels in the runway. Hence all care is taken of wheels in the airplanes.

23. The steering

The steering is a wheel in all road, air and water vehicles. The steering is applied to change the direction.

23a. Ambalappuzha- Alleppy high way

On our child hood days we used to say the driver can take his hands and relax in the stretch, since there were no bends in the route!!

Later when came out of Kerala I could understand there are many routes like that. I have seen the longest straight route with less traffic in the Dubai- Sharja route for kilometres.

24. Smallest wheels

I have seen smallest wheels in the trolleys and largest wheels in the tractors commonly used. Reading members can write more about large wheels. I have excluded the small wheel planks used by legs handicapped people for moving.

25 Four wheel drive

The four wheel drive, which I started in the beginning means motion from engine is transferred directly to the four wheels, two in the front and two in back. Motion is not transferred from back wheels to front wheels.

It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, But what is more painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let that person know how you feel.
A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was never meant to be and you just have to let go.
The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation youve ever had.
Its true that we dont know what weve got until we lose it, but its also true that we dont know what weve been missing until it arrives.
It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone-but it takes a lifetime to forget someone.
Dont go for looks; they can deceive. Dont go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
Always put yourself in the others shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.
A careless word may kindle strife; a cruel word may wreck a life; a timely word may level stress; a loving word may heal and bless.
The happiest of people dont necessarily have the best of everything, they just make the most of everything that comes along their way.
Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, youre the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

(Photo by Bernd Hofman.)

One of my favorite parts about reading the research on any topic is reading very old research on that topic. Today, I came across this paper on the argonaut, Notes on the Argonaut (1869), by W. H. Dall, published in The American Naturalist, volume 3. The argonauts are a neat genus of pelagic octopods (Argonauta,) the females of which secrete a thin shell from specialized areas on their arms (pictured above in ecological conditions, inside the shell, and drawn below without the shell.)

(Lithograph by Arthur Bartholomew, ~1870)

Almost 150 years ago, this guy put together a pretty good description of argonaut behavior, although it was brief. Reading his work renews my faith in the power of good old observation, as well as flowery phrasing in otherwise dry writing. For example, Dall comments on the argonauts sexual dimorphism, with a healthy dose of Victorian sexism:

The Argonant shell is formed, curiously enough, by the females only;

as among more highly organized beings sometimes, the gentler sex

outshine their brothers in the splendor of their apparel, and the

extent it occupies. Unlike many, however, the Argonaut toils not,

neither does she spin.

The last sentence of that quote is genuinely confusing to me. What exactly does he mean? What evidence is there that argonauts do not "toil"? What does it even mean for an octopod to toil? Without being accustomed to the zoological vernacular that Dall is writing in, its hard to get what he means by this.

Another gem is his description of argonaut mating habits. Unlike todays biological authors (fortunately or unfortunately, its your call,) Dall doesnt shy away from anthropomorphism:

When the tender passion seizes him, as he rocks on some sunny wavelet,

far from female society, he does not go in search of a wife, but with

Spartan courage, detaches one of his eight hands (or arms) and consigns

it to the deep, in the hope that some tender hearted individual of the other

sex will fall in with it and take it under her protection. Thus for a long time

the male Argonaut was unknown, the arm (which does not die when

detached, but lives an independent worm-like life) was, when found in

the gill-chamber of the female, supposed to be a parasite, and was called

Hecto-cotylus.

Interestingly enough, although this name was given to the organ because it was thought to be a parasite, the modified arm that octopus and squid use to mate is still called a heteroctylus.

In closing, Dall acknowledges the unique contributions of one Madame Jeannette Power (a pioneer of the use of aquaria) to the study of the argonaut with a quaint tone of amazement:

It is pleasant to add that our first detailed account of the Argonaut and its

development, was published by a lady, Madame Power, who made her

observations in the Mediterranean, having a sort of marine enclosure

made, where she kept these animals and observed their habits from life.

I know this was a short one. I couldnt help it - I cant resist dusting off a few of the old chestnuts in the scientific literature and reveling in my own fantasies of some lost scientific world, where its considered adequately professional to use the term "tender passions" when describing the behavior of a mollusc in a leading biology journal.

Thanks for reading!

Ocean Animals For Kids

Most of the vertebrates that live in the ocean are fish.
Some mammals, reptiles, and birds live there, too.
There is only one group of vertebrates not found in salt water.
These are the amphibians.

Fish have always lived in the sea, of course. There are more than 13,000 different kinds, or species, living in the sea. But the mammals found in the sea are descended from land animals.
They have to come to the surface to breathe, because they have lungs, not gills.

Fish in the ocean

Fish come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes.
Some are flat so that they can lie on the seabed without being seen.
Eels have snakelike bodies.
Rays, like the skate, are kite-shaped and seem to fly through the water by flapping their huge “wings.”

Mammals in the ocean

There are three groups of mammals in the sea:

whales and dolphins,
seals and sea-lions, and
some rare sea mammals called sirenians, which include the manatee and the dugong.

There are more than 75 different kinds of whales.
The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived. It can grow to be as long as 100 feet (30 meters)!
Whales need to come up to the surface for air, but sperm whales can hold their breath underwater for over an hour!

Dolphins and porpoises are actually small whales. The killer whale is the largest walrus

dolphin.
Have you ever seen bottle-nosed dolphins perform in an aquarium?
They are very intelligent. They communicate with each other by blowing air through their blow-holes to make squeaks, whistles, and clicks.

Seals, sea-lions, and walruses are the only sea mammals that move onto land to give birth to their young. Walruses look like large seals with two long, pointed teeth called tusks.

Reptiles in the ocean

Some turtles and snakes live in the sea.
Like all reptiles, sea turtles are cold-blooded, so they live only in warm waters.
The females come out of the sea to lay their eggs in holes on sandy beaches.
Most sea snakes never leave the sea.
They swim by waving their flattened bodies from side to side and by using their oarlike tails as a paddle.

Birds in the ocean

Penguins spend much of their lives in the sea, often hunting fish, their main food.
Instead of wings, penguins have flippers which help them to swim.
Penguins come to the surface of the water to breathe.
They move onto land to lay their eggs and raise their young.

YANTRA SANEEWARA TEMPLE

about yanthra shani temple:

Here Saneeswara Baghavan (Lord Saturn - believed to be the powerful planet in the base of Astrology) is in the form of Yanthra(Divine Scripture).
History of the Temple Sree Yandra Saneeswarar Temple is located at Erikuppam Village of Thiruvannamalai District, Tamilnadu in South India. Its having a history of about 500 years. According to the Archaeological department the temple is supposed to be constructed during 1535 AD at the time of Naicka Kingdom. The speciality is that it is believed that the Saneeswara in the form of Yandra was formed by " The Eternal Siddhas". The Yandra here is having Peejakshara Letters, which is believed to be inscribed by Siddhas & Veda Experts and from time to time all kinds of diseases were healed because of these divine forms, for those who visited the temple.

The Formation of Peejakshara Yandra of Sree Sani Baghavan

The Yandra of Saneeswara is having the mark of Sun in the upper left side, Crow in the middle side and the moon in the upper right corner of the yandra. Below this Peejakshara Manthras in the form of SHUTKONAM can be seen. Below this we can see "Lakshmi Kadaksha Yandra" and yandras relating to water and fire. The Shutkona yandra consists of Manthras praising Lord Shiva, Lord Anjaneya & Sree Saneeshwara. This Yandra is believed to be the most powerful one and unique in its kind.

Medical specialists List of medical careers

Medical specialists are medical professionals who have knowledge, education, and training in a particular field of medicine.
In the following lists are presented some types of medical specialists and their areas of expertise.

List of medical careers

Allergist - What Does an Allergist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of allergies

Anesthesiologist - What Does an Anesthesiologist Do?

Area of expertise: Administration of anesthetics for surgery

Cardiologist - What does a Cardiologist do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the heart and circulatory system

Pulmonary Specialist - What is a Pulmonary Specialist?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the lungs and chest

Dermatologist - What Does a Dermatologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of skin, hair, and nails

Emergency Medicine Specialist

Area of expertise: Emergency treatment of acute illnesses and injuries

Epidemiologist - What Does an Epidemiologist Do?

Area of expertise: Causes, transmission, and control of infectious diseases

Family Physician - What is Family Physician?

Area of expertise: Ongoing health care for persons of all ages

Gastroenterologist - What do Gastroenterologists Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the digestive system

General Surgeon - What do General Surgeons Do?

Area of expertise: Surgical treatment of diseases of the abdomen, breast, and other areas

Gynecologist - What Does a Gynecologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the female reproductive organs

Hematologist - What Does a Hematologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the blood, bone marrow, and lymph tissues

Internist - What is Internal Medicine Doctor?

Area of expertise: Nonsurgical treatment of diseases of the internal organs

Nephrologist - What Does a Nephrologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the kidney

Neurologist - What Does a Neurologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the brain and nervous system

Neurosurgeon - What Does a Neurosurgeon Do?

Area of expertise: Surgical treatment of diseases of the brain and spinal cord

Obstetrician - What Does an Obstetrician Do?

Area of expertise: Health care for pregnancy, labor, and childbirth

Oncologist - What Does an Oncologist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of cancer

Ophthalmologist - What Does an Ophthalmologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the eye

Orthopedist - What Does an Orthopedist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the bones, joints, and muscles

Otolaryngologist - What Does a Otolaryngologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the ear, nose, throat, and neck

Pathologist - What Does a Pathologist Do?

Area of expertise: Study of biopsy specimens and body fluids

Pediatrician - What Does a Pediatrician Do?

Area of expertise: Health care of infants, children, and adolescents

Physiatrist - What Does a Psychiatrist Do?

Area of expertise: Rehabilitation of patients following illness or injury

Plastic Surgeon - What Does a Plastic Surgeon Do?

Area of expertise: Cosmetic surgery and surgical reconstruction

Podiatrist - What Does a Podiatrist Do?

Area of expertise: Disorders of the foot

Proctologist - What Does a Proctologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the anus, rectum, and colon

Psychiatrist - What Does a Psychiatrist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of mental disorders

Radiologist - What Does a Radiologist Do?

Area of expertise: Study of X ray and ultrasound

Rheumatologist - What Does a Rheumatologist Do?

Area of expertise: Treatment of rheumatic diseases

Urologist - What Does a Urologist Do?

Area of expertise: Diseases of the urinary tract and the male reproductive organs

Vascular Surgeon - What Does a Vascular Surgeon Do?

Area of expertise: Surgical treatment of diseases of blood vessels