November 7, 2013

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NOV 7, 20130 COMMENT

4 Strange Body Functions

Author: Heather Brown
Our body is made up of different systems and is composed of different organs to perform functions necessary for optimum health. Body functions are important that they are being taken care of so that you live longer and happy. With the usual body functions, an alteration on them would mean that you either are sick or you need something to trigger to compensate to the needs of the body. Speaking of usual and normal body functions, did you know that there are strange ones?
How do you tag a body function strange or weird? If you are not a medical person, you would even consider the whole process or functions of the body weird. To give you a hint, here are some of the strange functions of the body.
1.  Tongue
Did you know that a human tongue has something in common with an elephant trunk or with the tentacles of an octopus? Yes, these three are distinctive structure of “muscular hydrostat”, which is a group of muscles that can work even without the help of bones. Your tongue does not contain bones but they can be very flexible and strong. So imagine if your tongue is the same size with an elephant’s trunk, there is no doubt that it can uproot trees as well.
2.  Hair
People really love pitching facts about hair. Some would even say that your hair can still grow even after death. That is definitely a fun myth. After death, your nails and hair never continue growing; instead, the skin retreats during dehydration which leads to the creepy illusion of horrid growth. In reality, hair has a strange combination of living and the dead. We are talking about cells here.
3.  Liver
Liver is considered to be the largest vital organ of the body. It performs major functions and involves lots of systems. Did you know that your liver is like the maintenance of your body? Among the major organs, your liver is the most resilient. Though it does not appear cute and nice, it is the organ that makes you lucky. It can regenerate on its own.
4. Walking Proteins
Of the microscopic matters in your cellular biology, the strangest is probably the kinesin protein. It is considered a “motor” protein responsible to deliver significant molecules to their respective destinations. What makes it weird? It walks with its feet – considered to be the base of its micro-pathway. Literally, it resembles assisting humans in a pathway. It is like in a place where the mode of transportation is just walking.
NOV 6, 20130 COMMENT

Steve Irwin

Author: Admin
The field of zoology has many notable names with some of them dating back several hundred years. However, there are also more modern zoologists that have managed to make contributions to the field that the world will not soon forget. One zoologist that has managed to make a difference and raise awareness is a Steve Irwin. While he may be more known as a TV personality who wrestles crocodiles on TV and featuring different animals, Steve Irwin was also a zoologist, a naturalist, and a conservationist. He was more than just a guy in khakis playing with animals on TV so get to know more about Steve Irwin and his work. He left the world too soon by means of a freak accident but he will be remembered forever.

His early life

Steve Irwin was born in Essendon in Melbourne on February 22, 1962 and shared the same birth date with his mother. His parents were Lyn and Bob Irwin and they moved to Queensland in 1970 when he was still a child. He went to school at Landsborough State School and for high school he attended Caloundra State High School. It really is not surprising why he became interested in animals because according to Irwin his father was a wildlife expert that had a huge interest in herpetology while his mother Lyn worked as a wildlife rehabilitator. In fact, when they moved to Queensland his parents started a modest-sized park known as the Queensland Reptile ad Fauna Park. Young Steve Irwin grew up in the company of not just crocodiles but other types of reptiles as well.
Steve Irwin was involved in the running of the park and was involved in several aspects of how it was run. He not only took part in the daily feeding of their animals but he also made sure they remained in good health and maintained the park facilities. While most young boys got bicycles or other toys for their birthdays, he was given a 4m long scrub python and by the time he turned 9, he was already handling crocs like a pro and wrestled his first crocodile under the watchful eye of his father. As he grew older, he did volunteer work for the East Coast Crocodile Management program in Queensland where he helped catch over 100 crocs. Some of the crocs where transferred to his family’s farm while others were relocated. He would spend months at a time looking for wayward crocs before they were hunted so he could relocate them to safer areas and all this he did with the help of his dog, Sui.

His personal life

It was in the year 1991 when Irwin met a naturalist from Oregon named Terrie Raines and she was to become his wife. It started out innocently enough with Raines visiting Australia to check out wildlife rehabilitation facilities and decided to pay a visit to Irwin’s zoo. According to them, it was love at first site and after a four month engagement they got married in Eugene, Oregon.
They have two kids; the eldest is a girl named Bindi Sue Irwin and little boy named Robert Clarence Irwin. The girl was named for Irwin’s favorite animals and his dog while the little boy was named after Irwin’s dad. It has been said that if Irwin was enthusiastic about his animals, he was doubly in love with his family and kids. The Irwin’s were a happy family and made a great couple but they did not wear rings since they believed the rings could pose a danger to themselves and the animals they handled.

His career

Instead of going on a honeymoon as average couples are wont to do, the Irwin’s decided to trap crocodiles together and the footage they took during their honeymoon became the very first episode of Irwin’s hit show the Crocodile Hunter. The show debuted on Australian TV in 1996 and slowly made its way to the US, the UK, and 130 other countries and was enjoyed by more than 500 million people.
As a host, Irwin was personable and exuberant and his broad Aussie accent just made him that much more appealing. Pretty soon, the Australian TV host not only had a signature catchphrase (crikey!) but also had a signature look that always consisted of a shirt and khaki shorts. Sir David Attenborough heaped praise on Irwin saying that he was a natural born communicator and taught people of all ages just how wonderful and exciting Mother Nature was. After the last episode of The Crocodile Hunteraired, Irwin went on to star in other Animal Planet shows and documentaries some of which are: Croc Files, New Breed of Vets, and The Crocodile Hunter Diaries.

Honors

Someone who loved the wild and animals and worked hard to promote the environment deserves awards and Steve Irwin got a lot of them. In fact, he even has a turtle named after him while he discovered it during a fishing trip. He called it the Irwin’s turtle or Elseya Irwini. An air-breathing type of snail that was found in Australia was also named after him and it is known as the Crikey Steveirwini. He was granted awards in Australia and other parts of the world for his conservation work. He was even nominated for the Australian of the Year Ward at one point.

His death

Steve Irwin did not fear animals but he had a healthy respect for hem and what they were capable of doing. This is why what happened in September 4, 1996 so shocking. He was snorkeling in Batt reef when he was hit in the chest by a stingray which brought on his death. It is believed that his is the first and only ever death by stingray that was captured on film. All copies of the film were destroyed at the request of his family.
He is survived by his family and his legacy to protect nature and take care of animals is something that his kids and wife are doing their best to continue.
NOV 4, 20130 COMMENT

5 Strangest Fossils Ever Found

Author: Heather Brown
Scientists love to categorize things, especially those who specialize in fossils. They enjoy the tedious process of classifying fossils according to their designated species. Paleontologists with amateur fossil hunters are continuously discovering new reserves – each of them is named and classified. However, paleontologists have never officially assigned one classification to “strange” fossils.
What makes a fossil bizarre? For some, it would depend on where and how it was discovered and the story it makes about the prehistoric past. While for others, strange fossils are those that look unimaginable and unfamiliar. Well, can you consider this picture strange?
For that, here are the 5 strangest fossils ever found. Can you imagine that they once roamed the earth?
1.  Gigantic Ant Fossil
There were four paleontologists who discovered this strange fossil, which included two from the Simon Fraser University. The gigantic ant fossil has showed how the events of global warming affected life distribution around 50 million years that passed.
The newly found gigantic ant fossil was named Titanomyrma lubei. It was believed that this winged giant ant lived in the Eocene Epoch and is already about 50 million years of age. Its body sized up to 5 centimeters long, which can be compared to a hummingbird.
2.  The Devil Frog, Beelzebufo
Discovered in Madagascar, the 70 million-year old giant frog fossil sized like a beach ball. The fossil was called by scientists, Beelzebufo or the devil frog. The enormous frog fossil weighed about 4.5 kilograms and with a height of 41 centimeters.
3.  A Nest of 15 Baby Dinosaurs
In 2011, paleontologist from University of Rhode Island, David Fastovsky discovered in Mongolia a nest of fossil remains from 15 juvenile baby dinosaurs, which were then classified as Protoceratops andrewsi dinosaur species. This is the first nest of the dinosaur specie ever found.
4.  Biggest Prehistoric Megalodon Shark Jaw
The Megalodon shark was considered to be the largest predator to have lived on earth. The jaw of the shark took 20 years to be reconstructed and it measured almost 9 feet tall and 11 feet across – the biggest ever assembled.
5.  Spider Attack Fossil (100 million years old)
This is the first and only spider attack fossil ever discovered and caught in amber. This spider existed in the Hukawng Valley in Myanmar during the Early Cretaceous period, around 97 to 110 million years ago – almost definitely with dinosaurs roving just nearby. This strange discovery was preserved with remarkable detail as these fossils are considered to be rare.
NOV 1, 20130 COMMENT

Hiccups and Tinnitus Explained

Author: Heather Brown
It is not a doubt that everyone already experienced hiccups and tinnitus at some point. Hiccups and tinnitus are two different conditions that create annoying body manifestations for a short amount of time. But remember, these are just signs and not actual diseases that you have to be scared of although these can be indications of underlying serious conditions especially if they become persistent. To fully understand hiccups and tinnitus, here are short discussions on each of them.

Hiccups

Hiccups take place when the diaphragm is being contracted by a spasm. The diaphragm is the large muscle sheet that separates the abdominal cavity from the chest cavity. This certain spasm will then lead to an intake of breath that suddenly stops as the glottis or the vocal cords close. The closure is the one causing the “hiccup” sound.
Causes
•  A very full stomach
•  Eating rapidly
•  Swallowing too much air
•  Intense emotions like euphoria, excitement, anxiety, and fear
•  Laughing
•  Smoking
•  Carbonated beverages, alcohol, and some spicy foods
Duration
Hiccups normally stop just within a few minutes or sometimes can last up to few hours. If it persists more than 48 hours, consult a doctor because it can be a sign of a more serious health problem.
Treatment
Most attacks of hiccups just stop on their own for few minutes and do not anymore require treatment. However, there are home remedies that you can apply – most of them involve increasing intake of carbon dioxide.
•  Hold your breath and count slowly up to 10.
•  Repeatedly breathe into a paper bag for limited span of time.
•  Quickly drink a glass of cold water.
•  Eat a teaspoon of honey or sugar.

Tinnitus

Derived from the Latin word meaning “ringing”, tinnitus is the perception of ear sounds (ringing of the ears) without the presence of an actual sound. Its causes depend on its types.
Types and Causes
•  Subjective – the ear sound that only you can hear and considered to be the most common form of tinnitus. Subjective tinnitus can be caused by problems in your inner, outer, and middle ear. It could also be the result of auditory nerve impairment.
•  Objective – this time, it is only the doctor that can hear during examination. This is a rare kind and is said to be caused by muscle contractions, an inner ear bone condition, or blood vessel problem.
Treatment
In many cases, specific treatment for tinnitus remains unidentified. It can go away on its own or may remain as a permanent disability. Some doctors would recommend niacin but there is still no scientific evidence that can back it up. Treatment usually depends on the cause of the tinnitus.
OCT 29, 20130 COMMENT

5 Strange Ocean Phenomena

Author: Heather Brown
A lot of people tend to forget that the Earth’s oceans are vast and deep and despite all the technological advances people have today, there are still so many hidden mysteries of the deep blue sea that have yet to be figured out. Some of the ocean’s mysterious working have already been explained but there are still some ocean phenomena that are yet to be explained. Below are some of the most amazing and most wonderful phenomena that occurs in the Earth’s oceans on a regular basis.
1.  Bioluminescence
When you look at the ocean at night, what do you see? Black waters, perhaps some lights from fishing vessel but what do you do when you see flashes of brilliant blue light? The blue ocean glow might alarm you at first but it really is just a wonderful thing called Bioluminescence which is the light marine creatures produce as a means of self-defense. Chemicals that are found on the sea creatures’ bodies are produced when they counteract with oxygen in the atmosphere and this is where the bioluminescent light comes from.
2.  Baltic and North Seas Convergence
This oceanic wonder has been debated for some years now and is the convergent point of the Baltic and north seas that can be found in Denmark in the province of Skagen. There is a clear mark where the two seas meet because of the different densities of the water. Some people have even said that this phenomenon is mentioned in the holy Koran.
3.  Steaming black sea
A steamy sea seems alarming but the steam arising from the Black sea simply comes from the humidity of the water that counteracts with the wind on the surface. Such a simple explanation but the effect is one that is oddly stunning.
4.  Green flash
When you think of the colors during sunrise and sunset, you may think mellow yellows and bright oranges for the first and brilliant shades of red, orange, and even purple for the latter. So what would you do if you say a flash of green? Some people may claim this green flash during sunrise and sunset is something alien but really, it is just a natural effect that happens due to the prismatic nature of the atmosphere. You see, during sunrise and sunset, the light from the sun gets divided into different colors which look green as a whole.
5.  Anomaly in the Baltic sea
Granted the previous phenomena have all been explained now it is time for an ocean phenomenon that baffles experts up until today and it is the anomaly in the Baltic Sea. This anomaly was discovered completely by accident back in 2011 wherein the divers found a thick circular entity that measured about 60meters thick and at a depth of about 90 meters in the sea. Nobody knows where the entity came from or even what it is for but for sure, it is one of the biggest ocean mysteries discovered during the recent years but it is indeed something that has captured their imaginations.
వీరిచే పోస్ట్ చెయ్యబడింది వద్ద

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