MICROBIOLOGY Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MICROBIOLOGY - Coursework Example Catalase test is used to identify organisms that are capable of producing catalase enzyme. The enzyme converts toxic H2O2 into water and oxygen and thereby prevent the formation of highly dangerous hydroxyl radicals. 2H2O2 Catalase 2H2O + O2 To test catalase activity, the culture must be of 18- 24 hour as old culture lose catalase activity and may display false negative test. The emerging bubbles in catalase positive test is due to the formation of oxygen gas. Aerobic bacteria in general display catalase positive test while most of the anaerobes are deficient in catalase enzyme indicating the sensitivity of anaerobic bacteria towards oxygen. E.g. Catalase positive organisms are Micrococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. Catalase negative organisms are Enterococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp. Bacto Agar or plain agar is used for the study as it contains calcium and magnesium. On the contrary, blood agar are unsuitable to carryout catalase test as blood contains catalase (Web: Catalase t est, n.d.; Pelczar, 1993). 2. Explain the principle of Oxidase test. Oxidase test is a test for the presence of cytochrome oxidase (playing vital role in electron transport chain or ETC) which catalyses oxidation of reduced cytochrome by oxygen. Cytochrome oxidase transports electrons from the ETC to oxygen, the terminal electron acceptor. The principle is utilized to test the organisms for the production of cytochrome oxidase. To test this ability of microorganisms, artificial electron donors and acceptors are provided. As soon as the electron donor (1.0-1.5 percent solution of tetramethyl p-phenylene diamine hydrochloride) is poured over the colonies, it is oxidized by cytochrome oxidase. Oxidase positive colonies become maroon, purple and black in 10-30 minutes (Pelczar MJ. 1993). E.g. Members of Pseudomonadaceae and Enterobacteriaceae are oxidase positive (Pelczar, 1993). 3. Explain how Oxoid Chromogenic UTI media (Clear) works. Oxoid Chromogenic UTI media is a nonselective medi um to isolate, differentiate and enumerate the pathogens prevalent in urinary tract and are responsible for urinary tract infection. The medium facilitates the differentiation and identification of E. coli and Enterococcus without undergoing confirmatory tests (Web. Dehydrated Culture Media, n.d.). The principle utilized is based on the difference in susceptibility prototypes of the microorganisms. For the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy, the organism must be identified to the species level. However, the prevalent species Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia spp. produce enzymes for the metabolism of glucosidase or lactose or both and aids identification. On the contrary other microorganisms may not produce enzyme for such substrate fermentation (Web. Dehydrated Culture Media, n.d.). The chromogen mixture present in the Oxoid Chromogenic UTI media (Clear) comprises artificial substrates or chromogens which are responsible for releasing different colored compounds when specific microb ial enzymes released by Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia spp act on substrate molecules, thereby a differentiation process works for the detection of certain species or a group of microorganism (Isenberg and Garcia, 2004). For instance the chromogen X-glucoside is a substrate for ?-glucosidase enzyme of enterococci which form blue colonies while chromogen red-galactoside is utilized by enzyme ?-galactoside generated

Water pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water pollution - Essay Example Therefore, water pollution is a problem that requires a collective effort in order to beat. In my opinion, this article was too lightweight for such a heavy issue. It was tackled in a single page and dealt with in such a lighthearted manner by the writer. It almost sounded like a Wikipedia or â€Å"Water Pollution for Dummies† article due to its simplicity. However, it does manage to effectively introduce the problem and the possible solutions to it. I am glad that such an article exists which was written with the intention of making the water pollution problem understandable to everyone, even children in a grade school level of study. The writer should be commended for making such a complex issue easily understandable to those who do not have a background or serious understanding of the water pollution problem and the various prevention methods that have been set in place to help prevent the further deterioration of our seas and water

Exploring the Brain Responses Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Exploring the Brain Responses - Assignment Example The experimental study has the hypothesis of the inducement of either the rTMS or the stimulants triggering the dopamine production. In the two experiments, the brain is induced with rTMS for patients with depression and stimulants for the c-Fos experiment, which uses rats. Procedure outline of rTMS Eight Patients with depression was treated with rTMS, over the left prefrontal cortex on a daily basis. Each of them underwent neuropsychological test scores and PET scan before and after the rTMS treatment (Goldman et al. 1978). Procedure outline of c-Fos experiment Six rats was injected with cocaine and six with amphetamine. The rats were then killed, and the brain extracted. The brain was then preserved and treated with antibodies that recognize the c-Fos-positive cells. A special dye was then added to reveal the location of the c-Fos cells. The cells are counted easily since they are brown due to the dye. Q1a. The independent variable (IV), the conditions and the two dependent variabl es (DV) for this study First, the TMS experiment will be considered. The independent variable (IV) is the raclopride binding. This does not rely on the other variable, but it is rather depended on by the other variable. The conditions of the experiment rTMS are repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. There are four dependent variables that depend on the set conditions, which are R caudate, Laudate, R putamen, and L putamen. These will vary depending on the rTMS induced on the patient. In the second experiment (c-Fos), the Independent variable is c-positive cells, which are not necessarily dependant on the other variable set. The conditions are cocaine and the amphetamine. The independent variables are the nucleus accumbens from the sections of the rat’s brain (Goldman et al. 1978). Q1b. The study within a participant study explanation The study of rTMS involves the participation of several patients who are observed before and after the rTMS induction. A PET scanning is then done to establish the number of functional dopamine receptors using radioactive raclopride. The study is thus within a participant study where the data obtained is from the patient pairs under experiment. The participants involved are patients who are 8 rather than being a single patient. Since 2 pairs of participants had the same pre-rTMS test scores represented by a single point for each pair, the study is within a participant study. The c-Fos experiment study is also within a participant study. This is because the study experiment involved the participation of every group member. This means that obtaining the data of all the group members was essential. Q1c. The vital piece of statistical information missing from the study results obtained The essential piece of statistical information missing from the results presented here is a hypothesis. This is a vital tool in analyzing the data presented to either agree with the data or disagree. This tool would be critical in making c onclusions, like establishing the level of deviation from the expected results set on the hypothesis. This piece of information set as a hypothesis would act as the researchers’ guideline when they are setting the procedures. This tool is also helpful to a researcher in the field since it will define his research scope.

Water pollution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Water pollution - Essay Example Therefore, water pollution is a problem that requires a collective effort in order to beat. In my opinion, this article was too lightweight for such a heavy issue. It was tackled in a single page and dealt with in such a lighthearted manner by the writer. It almost sounded like a Wikipedia or â€Å"Water Pollution for Dummies† article due to its simplicity. However, it does manage to effectively introduce the problem and the possible solutions to it. I am glad that such an article exists which was written with the intention of making the water pollution problem understandable to everyone, even children in a grade school level of study. The writer should be commended for making such a complex issue easily understandable to those who do not have a background or serious understanding of the water pollution problem and the various prevention methods that have been set in place to help prevent the further deterioration of our seas and water

Fluid Dynamics of Fires Essay Example for Free

Fluid Dynamics of Fires Essay

African Moral Values Can Complement Christian Moral Values Religion Essay

African Moral Values Can Complement Christian Moral Values Religion Essay Moral values can be said to be the ideals of good and evil, which oversees a persons deeds and choices. Individuals morals can be drawn from society and government, from religious conviction, or self. Moral values can also be defined as generally accepted, empathetic, caring, Christ-like philosophy. The bible states that good moral values can be observed in the ideology and manner of behavior taught by Jesus. It seems just to tie the definition of moral values to what is right and what is wrong conduct held by individuals. II. Morality Morality denotes a coordination of behavior that distinguishes intent, choices, and events between those that are right or wrong. Immorality is the reverse of morality. III. African Moral Values According to Mbiti (1990), the African is notoriously and incurably religious. Hence a conclusion can be drawn that African morals are elaborately entwined with culture (African) which is greatly dosed with spiritual beliefs. Consequently in order to comprehend the African moral values, an outline of African religion and culture is necessary. IV. African culture overview Culture refers to the following ways of life, including but not limited to: Language; Art and Sciences Thought Spirituality Social activity Interaction a) Religion African Traditional Religion (ATR) has proved to be extremely complex to define. There is no single easy and accurate definition to explain it. Sadly, many writers have misunderstood ATR by attempting to define it under deceptive terms such as magic, superstitions, primitive religion, paganism etc. The struggle to describe ATR seems to come from the fact that its propagation is carried out by living it other than preaching it. Its supporters are more preoccupied with its practice than with its theory. ATR influence wraps all aspects of life, from before the birth of a person to long after s/he has passed away. It is a way of life and life is at its core. Thus comments such as: For the African, religion is factually life and life is religion. Mbiti offers a summary of where to search for and locate ATR: belief and customs; rituals, ceremonies and festivals; shrines, sacred places and religious objects; art and symbols; names of people and places; music and dance; myths and legends; pr overbs, riddles and wise sayings. The beliefs and practices of ATR are based upon the faith of the old native people (Ancestors). This is the reason why it is said to be traditional in contrast to other religions, e.g. Christianity and Islam, which are considered as foreign since their dogma and practices came from outside of Africa. There has been considerable awareness of the dialogue between Christian and African Religion. This has been made possible through ways such as bible translation. African moral values can complement Christian moral values through the spirit of interreligious tolerance, dialogue and mutual respect. Also, Christian spirituality is greatly shaped by spirituality of African religion. Praying unites Africans and Europeans (West) at a spiritual level. b) The Supernatural in Indigenous African Religions Intellectuals who study religion in Africa inform us that every African society have a belief in God. Some African religions have faith in one supreme God who formed the world and all that is in the world. Other African religions have faith in more than one God; nevertheless even in these religions, typically one of the Gods is said to be the supreme God who created the world. The way God is seen in most African religions is both alike and dissimilar than the way monotheistic religions characterize God for example Christianity. It teaches that there exists only one God. African religion can complement Christian moral values by sharing concepts about God for example; God maintains creation, God is the creator of everything, God provides for and guards creation, God is omnipotent and omniscient, God supports fairness. The supernatural is also significant to African religious belief. Spirits exists between an all- powerful God and humans. Spirits in African religious traditions share a number of characteristics with angels in the Christian traditions. Good spirits assist in shielding against ill health and misfortune and aid humans by offering rain required for crops as well as animals used for food. On the other hand, not all spirits are good. Some are viewed as evil and are thought to be the responsible for illness, and other. c) Sense of community One African proverb puts across the African sense of community. It says Go the way that many people go; if you go alone, you will have reason to lament. The African thought of security and its value depends on personal identification with and inside the community. For that reason, the authentic African is identified and known, by and through his community. The community is the guardian of the individual; therefore we must go where the community goes. In another meaning, the community offers the African the psychological and decisive security as it gives its members both physical and ideological identity. It must be mentioned that in the African way of thinking, the community as an entity remains, while persons, come and go. As a result, the Africans stress community life and communalism as a living principle of which the fundamental ideology is community-identity. Its goal is to produce and present an individual as a community-culture bearer. Culture is a community asset and must the refore be community-protected. In addition, the individual in an African community is under the clans care. His individuality is not given emphasis at the expense of his community identity. This is the reason why individualism, as a dogma and code of life, is not encouraged in Africa. The social principles spelt out above are expression of African humanism. According to Lambo (127), the African man is first and foremost a member of his family, the extended family, the community and his society in that order before being an individual. Compared to the Wests individualism, the African man has a social and communal nature. The African culture can complement with the Western culture by integrating individualism with the communal nature of life. d) Sense of Hospitality Sense of hospitality is innately crucial in the present survival of African values. At all times, there is always unprompted welcome and accommodation to unfamiliar persons and visitors. Africans effortlessly incorporate strangers and offer them lands to settle hoping that they would leave one day, and the land would be returned to the owner. This is usually carried out with the conviction that one will never opt out of his own community. Unlike the West, no appointment and special invitation are required for one to call on a distant family member or neighbor. On arrival, when there is food the visitor is invited to dine. He is handled kindly, just as one would want to be treated when visiting another home. Africans possess a symbolic way of showing welcome. This is done in a variety of ways for example; in forms of presentation of coconuts, kola nuts, traditional brew, groundnuts etc. in different communities. These are offered to demonstrate that he is welcome and safe. Onwubiko ha s observed that a guest must not harm his host and that when he departs, he should not develop a hunch back on the way home. (Onwubiko, 23). This social value can complement Christian moral values to enhance integrity among Africans. The bible says that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves. By integrating these values into Christianity, uprightness is enhanced among Africans. V. Conclusion For there to be growth and development, African value system must be promoted by the leadership. Falling into or imitating Wstern values will only wreck humanity as they are strange to the philosophy of humanism which is the basis of the African value system.

Women and Self-Reliance, Is This Possible? Essay -- Feminism Feminist

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, we live in a society of conformity that is, "in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members . . . the virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion" (Emerson, 21). Since Civil War Nursing, women in the work force have been faced with this dilemma of self-reliance and conformity. As women have been discriminated against, and referred to as inferior to men, it has not been an easy task to over come the social barriers, without giving in to conformity, especially when it comes to the work place. As their role in the Civil War, nurses "fulfilled more of a replacement mother position, rather than a healthcare provider"(Hamway, 2001).   During the Civil War, women began to feel like part of the work force, but along with it, was the downfall of being considered "service workers", which is very similar to being a servant. Nurses had to suffer through much conformity, as they had to wait hand and foot on male patients, while at the same time being scrutinized by their male "overseers". These issues that nurses faced in the nineteenth century, continue even to this day, with a little more ease, but we are still driven by a patriarchal society that just isn't ready to let go. Through the works of Louisa May Alcott and Charlotte Perkins Gillman, one can see the hardships that Nineteenth century women were faced with when it came to working. These stories bring to light the fact that, by overcoming oppression, through the strength and desire that leads to resistance, women have been able to achieve self-reliance, which makes their "service work" considered to have with it, an achieved independence. These stories show us the struggles that women faced in the nin... ...heir own sense of independence. But they also present the reality of it all, that in the end they are back to where they started, and that women will never be able to let their guard down, because of the constant struggle of becoming equally self-reliant as men are, which still remains today.    Works Cited Adams, Jill. "Nursing as a Profession and Florence Nightingale". 2001. . Alcott, Louisa May. Short Stories. Dover Publications, 1996. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance and Other Essays. Dover Publications, 1993. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Other Stories. Dover Publications, 1997. Hamway, Theresa. "Civil War Nursing". 2001. http://bizntech.rutgers.edu/worknlit/civil_war_nursing_bib.html Summers, Anne. Angels and Citizens. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1988. Women and Self-Reliance, Is This Possible? Essay -- Feminism Feminist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Ralph Waldo Emerson, we live in a society of conformity that is, "in conspiracy against the manhood of every one of its members . . . the virtue in most request is conformity. Self-reliance is its aversion" (Emerson, 21). Since Civil War Nursing, women in the work force have been faced with this dilemma of self-reliance and conformity. As women have been discriminated against, and referred to as inferior to men, it has not been an easy task to over come the social barriers, without giving in to conformity, especially when it comes to the work place. As their role in the Civil War, nurses "fulfilled more of a replacement mother position, rather than a healthcare provider"(Hamway, 2001).   During the Civil War, women began to feel like part of the work force, but along with it, was the downfall of being considered "service workers", which is very similar to being a servant. Nurses had to suffer through much conformity, as they had to wait hand and foot on male patients, while at the same time being scrutinized by their male "overseers". These issues that nurses faced in the nineteenth century, continue even to this day, with a little more ease, but we are still driven by a patriarchal society that just isn't ready to let go. Through the works of Louisa May Alcott and Charlotte Perkins Gillman, one can see the hardships that Nineteenth century women were faced with when it came to working. These stories bring to light the fact that, by overcoming oppression, through the strength and desire that leads to resistance, women have been able to achieve self-reliance, which makes their "service work" considered to have with it, an achieved independence. These stories show us the struggles that women faced in the nin... ...heir own sense of independence. But they also present the reality of it all, that in the end they are back to where they started, and that women will never be able to let their guard down, because of the constant struggle of becoming equally self-reliant as men are, which still remains today.    Works Cited Adams, Jill. "Nursing as a Profession and Florence Nightingale". 2001. . Alcott, Louisa May. Short Stories. Dover Publications, 1996. Emerson, Ralph Waldo. Self-Reliance and Other Essays. Dover Publications, 1993. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Other Stories. Dover Publications, 1997. Hamway, Theresa. "Civil War Nursing". 2001. http://bizntech.rutgers.edu/worknlit/civil_war_nursing_bib.html Summers, Anne. Angels and Citizens. Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1988.