Questions and Answers - Recent questions and answers in Science

Answered: What are social insects.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 12:01:41 +0000

Some insects are called social insects as they live together in groups called colonies.

The true social insects—all ants and termites, and some bees and wasps—comprise 75 percent of the world's insect biomass, according to E.O. Wilson. A colony of social bees can number in the tens of thousands, and hundreds of millions of ants can live together in a supercolony of interconnected nests.

So what makes social insects behave the way they do? There are several theories, as well as varying degrees of social behavior.

Advantages of Social Behavior in Insects

Why have some insects evolved to live in large, cooperative colonies? There's strength in numbers. Social insects gain several advantages over their solitary cousins. Social insects work together to find food and other resources and to communicate their findings to others in the community. They can mount a vigorous defense of their home and resources when under attack.

Social insects also can outcompete other insects, and even larger animals, for territory and food. They can quickly construct a shelter, and expand it as needed, and they can divide chores in a manner that ensures everything gets done expeditiously.

Characteristics of Social Insects

So how do we define social, when speaking of insects? Many insects exhibit social behaviors, such as aggregating in large numbers at times. Gregarious behavior does not, by itself, mean an insect is social.

Entomologists refer to true social insects as eusocial.

By definition, eusocial insects must exhibit all 3 of these characteristics:

overlapping generations

cooperative brood care

a sterile worker caste

To give an example, think of termites. All termites are eusocial insects. Within a single termite colony, you will find individuals at various stages of the termite life cycle.

Generations of termites overlap, and there is a constant supply of new adults prepared to assume responsibility for the colony's care. The community cares for its young cooperatively.

Termite communities are divided into three castes. The reproductive caste is comprised of a king and queen. The soldier caste of both males and females is specially adapted for defending the colony. Soldiers are larger than other termites and are sterile. Finally, the worker caste consists of immature males and females that do all chores: feeding, cleaning, construction, and brood care.

Solitary insects, by contrast, don't exhibit any of these social behaviors.

Answered: How do flowers produce fruits with seeds

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:58:34 +0000

In order for a flower to produce fruits with seeds, the pollen from one flower has to be carried to another flower

Flowering plants reproduce with sexual parts contained in a flower. Actually, the flower itself exists for the sole purpose of reproduction. When it blooms, it contains male parts and/or female parts. The female parts contain eggs, which sit in an ovary at the base of the pistil. At the top of the pistil is the stigma, which catches pollen. The male parts of a flower produce sperm, which is contained in pollen. Pollen is made in the anther which sits at the top of the stamen of the flower. With stamen and pistil ready, a flower awaits pollination, the end result of which will be seed and fruit.

Pollination

Pollination is accomplished with either wind power or the help of creatures that the flower attracts by virtue of color, markings, scent and nectar. When creatures such as birds, bees and bats visit a flower, they pick up pollen. When the creatures visit other flowers, the pollen is deposited onto the stigma so that fertilization can take place. Smallish, non-showy flowers are those that rely on wind to blow pollen to the stigma.

Double Fertilization

Flowers are unique in their use of double fertilization to accomplish reproduction. First a tube grows from the pollen down into the pistil until it reaches the ovary. Once there, one sperm fuses with the egg and begins developing into an embryonic plant. Meanwhile, another sperm fuses with nuclei inside the embryonic sac to create endosperm.

Seed and Fruit

While the plant embryo is developing, the endosperm cells divide repeatedly. Eventually, the endosperm encloses the embryo. Together they form the seed, the endosperm there to provide the food energy the future plant will need as it awakens to emerge from the seed. The ovary, meanwhile, begins swelling around the seed or seeds, becoming the fruit of a flower. In some plants, the floral tube develops into a fleshy appendage around the ripened ovary, as is the case with apples. The core surrounding the seeds in an apple is the ovary wall. In fruit like peas, the pod is the ovary wall.

Answered: What are the four main parts of the food chain.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:56:11 +0000

The four main parts are.

Sun, Producers, Consumers, Decomposers

Answered: What are transparent material? Give examples

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:53:44 +0000

Transparent materials like glass let light pass through them.

Some examples of transparent objects include glass, cellophane, diamond and amber. Transparency is caused when light passes through a material without being scattered. It has application in many fields and is used both for function and aesthetical purposes.

The varied applications of the transparency in glass is most obvious in windows. Glass for functional objects such as cars, flashlights and microscopes also takes great advantage of the transparency of glass both for safety and aesthetical purposes. Marketers exploit the transparency of glass with bottles of products, such as juices and perfumes. Household objects such as cellophane and other plastics use transparency for functional purposes to help individuals identify what is inside a bag or wrapped up. Naturally occurring transparent gems such as diamonds have been used not only to create impressive beauty but also for practical, innovative applications in computer technology, thermo imaging and other fields. The transparency of amber, fossilized tree resin, makes it into a valued gem, but just as importantly it has allowed palaeontologists to make revolutionary fossil discoveries, including two mites discovered in northern Italy that were estimated to be over 230 million years old.

Transparent objects should not be confused with translucent objects, which transmit but diffuse the light that passes through them.

Answered: How many tiny hairs are present in each ear

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:47:51 +0000

There are about 17,000 really tiny hairs inside each ear.

Answered: What is bettery

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:43:57 +0000

A battery has chemicals in it and stores energy.

Battery is a criminal offense involving the unlawful physical acting upon a threat, distinct from assault which is the act of creating apprehension of such contact.

Battery is a specific common law misdemeanor, although the term is used more generally to refer to any unlawful offensive physical contact with another person, and may be a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the circumstances. Battery was defined at common law as "any unlawful and or unwanted touching of the person of another by the aggressor, or by a substance put in motion by him."[1] In most cases, battery is now governed by statutes, and its severity is determined by the law of the specific jurisdiction

What are functions of leaves.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:13:22 +0000

What are functions of leaves.

Answered: What are functions of inner ear.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:12:44 +0000

This part of the ear controls both our hearing and balance.

The two functions of the inner ear are hearing and balance. The inner ear is made up of specialized parts which help the brain determine motion, body position and sound. The inner ear, outer ear and middle ear work together to provide the sense of hearing.

Located in the skull, the inner ear contains the cochlea, the acoustic nerve and the vestibular system. The cochlea and vestibular system both contain specialized hairs which pick up vibrations. Information about sound or motion is then sent to the brain via the acoustic nerve.

Specifically dedicated to hearing, the cochlea converts sound pressure patterns from the outer ear into electromechanical impulses. The hair cells in the cochlea pick up vibrations and stimulate the cochlea’s nerve cells. These nerve impulses travel along the acoustic nerve to the brain, which then interprets these impulses as sound.

The vestibular system is dedicated to balance. Consisting of the utricle and saccule, the vestibular system also contains hair cells that send information about the position of the head to the brain along a portion of the acoustic nerve. Information from the vestibular system is sent to the brain stem, cerebellum and spinal cord to provide a sense of orientation.

Answered: How is food made in plants

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:08:58 +0000

The food is made from water, minerals and carbon dioxide.

Answered: What are decomposers.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:06:24 +0000

The organisms which breakup the dead bodies of animals and plants into smaller parts.

Imagine this scene... bodies are piled high, everything from birds and mammals to lizards and frogs. Mixed in are leaves, branches, feces, and even dead people. The stench is overwhelming. You try to turn away, but you are surrounded. It sounds like a horror movie, but at this show, you can't even have a grilled cheese sandwich with a glass of wine while watching the horrors unfold. Where are you? In a world without decomposers.

It may be unpleasant to think about, but decomposers do the natural world's dirty work. They are responsible for eliminating dead and dying organisms, and in the process, they release nutrients into the soil.

Job Categories of Living Organisms

There are three categories of jobs that living organisms have in the environment. Producers are green plants that produce their own food using the sun's energy. Consumers need to eat other living things, such as plants or animals (or both), to get their energy. Decomposers have the job of 'recycling' dead organisms and waste into non-living elements.

Examples of decomposers include bacteria, fungi, some insects, and snails, which means they are not always microscopic. Fungi, such as the Winter Fungus, eat dead tree trunks.

Decomposers can break down dead things, but they can also feast on decaying flesh while it's still on a living organism. Dung beetles, as you may have accurately concluded from their name, break down feces from other animals. Some decomposers, like snails and worms, can also be consumers because they sometimes eat plants.

Answered: What is a complete circuit

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 11:01:58 +0000

A complete circuit is always closed with no gaps in between.

a complete circuit is a circuit through which a current can flow

(see closed circuit)

A complete circuit is almost like a circle. Energy flows through this circle in order to make the light bulb light.

A circuit that has a power source, a load such as a light or motor to power and a ground point.

A complete circut is a circut with no gaps.

Answered: What are tubers

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:53:43 +0000

Potatoes, ginger and yams are tubers. These are stems which grow underground.

Primary Characteristics

This structure is distinguishable from many bulbs and corms in that it doesn't have a tunic, which is a very thin outer covering that prevents the excessive loss of moisture. It also has no flat basal plate, which is what usually sends off roots. Some areas on a tuber are capable of growing into a new plant, and people usually call these spots buds or eyes — these are easy to see on potatoes that have been stored a little too long. An additional trait is that, generally, one gets bigger and bigger from year to year and doesn't split.

Propagation

Growing tubers is generally very easy, as they are specifically designed to generate new plants. In fact, this sometimes can be a problem — if a single potato is left behind in a garden bed, for example, it will produce more plants the next year, whether or not a gardener wants them. They are also famous for propagating in compost piles. The large number of kinds means that people can grow them around the world, although a person has to identify which species likely would do best in the climate and soil his area has.

The basic technique for propagation is very similar to planting a seed, except that a person first has to cut the main tuber into pieces. Each cut section should have at least one eye on it and should be almost completely covered with soil. New sprouts should appear within one to three weeks, although this depends on the variety of plant, the quality of the soil and the availability of sufficient sunlight and water. Most people find that giving them a drink roughly every 1 - 3 days works just fine.A tuber is a part of a plant that stores energy for later, and which plays a role in asexual vegetative reproduction. Strictly speaking, it is the tip of an underground stem, also called a rhizome, that swells with unused nutrients. Many types are edible, and people around the world easily grow different varieties as major crops or supplements to their general diet. Probably the best-known varieties are potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes. Some people also use this word when talking about plants with roots that look and perform in a similar way, but this is not really proper.

Main Functions

One of the main things this growth does for a parent plant is to keep food available for the future, much like a seed does. The plant uses this stored energy to get through tough times or to support new shoots, thereby ensuring that the species survives even if the parent plant dies off. They also help to anchor the plant in the ground to some degree, just like roots do.

Answered: What are the parts of inner ear

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:43:13 +0000

The inner ear is made up of the cochlea and the semicircular canals.

What is the inner ear? The inner ear is the innermost part of the ear, which consist of the cochlea, the balance mechanism, the vestibular and the auditory nerve. Read more in this article about the inner ear’s anatomy, how the inner ear functions and the parts of the inner ear.

The inner ear

Once the vibrations of the eardrum have been transmitted to the oval window, the sound waves continue their journey into the inner ear.

The inner ear is a maze of tubes and passages, referred to as the labyrinth. In the labyrinth can be found the vestibular and the cochlea.

The cochlea

In the cochlea, sound waves are transformed into electrical impulses which are sent on to the brain. The brain then translates the impulses into sounds that we know and understand.

What is the cochlea and what is the function of the cochlea? The cochlea resembles a snail shell or a wound-up hose and is filled with a fluid called perilymph and contains two closely positioned membranes. These membranes form a type of partition wall in the cochlea. However, in order for the fluid to move freely in the cochlea from one side of the partition wall to the other, the wall has a little hole in it (the helicotrema). This hole is necessary, in ensuring that the vibrations from the oval window are transmitted to all the fluid in the cochlea.

When the fluid moves inside the cochlea, thousands of microscopic hair fibres inside the partition wall are put into motion. There are approximately 24,000 of these hair fibres, arranged in four long rows.

The auditory nerve

What is the auditory nerve? The auditory nerve is a bundle of nerve fibres that carry information between the cochlea in the inner ear and the brain. The function of the auditory nerve is to transmit signals from the inner ear to the brain.

The hair fibres in the cochlea are all connected to the auditory nerve and, depending on the nature of the movements in the cochlear fluid, different hair fibres are put into motion.

Answered: What is the organ or smell.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:40:16 +0000

The nose is the organ of smell.

The peripheral olfactory organ or organ of smell consists of two parts: an outer, the external nose, which projects from the center of the face; and an internal, the nasal cavity, which is divided by a septum into right and left nasal chambers.

the External Nose (Nasus Externus; Outer Nose)—The external nose is pyramidal in form, and its upper angle or root is connected directly with the forehead; its free angle is termed the apex. Its base is perforated by two elliptical orifices, the nares, separated from each other by an antero-posterior septum, the columna. The margins of the nares are provided with a number of stiff hairs, or vibrissæ, which arrest the passage of foreign substances carried with the current of air intended for respiration. The lateral surfaces of the nose form, by their union in the middle line, the dorsum nasi, the direction of which varies considerably in different individuals; the upper part of the dorsum is supported by the nasal bones, and is named the bridge. The lateral surface ends below in a rounded eminence, the ala nasi.

Structure.—The frame-work of the external nose is composed of bones and cartilages; it is covered by the integument, and lined by mucous membrane.

The bony frame-work occupies the upper part of the organ; it consists of the nasal bones, and the frontal processes of the maxillæ.

The cartilaginous frame-work (cartilagines nasi) consists of five large pieces, viz., the cartilage of the septum, the two lateral and the two greater alar cartilages, and several smaller pieces, the lesser alar cartilages (Figs. 852, 853, 854). The various cartilages are connected to each other and to the bones by a tough fibrous membrane.

The cartilage of the septum (cartilago septi nasi) is somewhat quadrilateral in form, thicker at its margins than at its center, and completes the separation between the nasal cavities in front. Its anterior margin, thickest above, is connected with the nasal bones, and is continuous with the anterior margins of the lateral cartilages; below, it is connected to the medial crura of the greater alar cartilages by fibrous tissue. Its posterior margin is connected with the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid; its inferior margin with the vomer and the palatine processes of the maxillæ.

It may be prolonged backward (especially in children) as a narrow process, the sphenoidal process, for some distance between the vomer and perpendicular plate of the ethmoid. The septal cartilage does not reach as far as the lowest part of the nasal septum. This is formed by the medial crura of the greater alar cartilages and by the skin; it is freely movable, and hence is termed the septum mobile nasi. 7

The lateral cartilage (cartilago nasi lateralis; upper lateral cartilage) is situated below the inferior margin of the nasal bone, and is flattened, and triangular in shape. Its anterior margin is thicker than the posterior, and is continuous above with the cartilage of the septum, but separated from it below by a narrow fissure; its superior margin is attached to the nasal bone and the frontal process of the maxilla; its inferior margin is connected by fibrous tissue with the greater alar cartilage.

Answered: What are dwarf planets.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:36:22 +0000

\Astronomers are discovering new objects that are very far from the sun, which they call dwarf planets. A dwarf planet does not have a clear orbit.

A dwarf planet is a planetary-mass object that is neither a true planet nor a natural satellite. That is, it is in direct orbit of a star, and is massive enough for its gravity to compress it into a hydrostatically equilibrious shape (usually a spheroid), but has not cleared the neighborhood of other material around its orbit.[1]

The term dwarf planet was adopted in 2006 as part of a three-way categorization of bodies orbiting the Sun,[1] brought about by an increase in discoveries of objects farther away from the Sun than Neptune that rivaled Pluto in size, and finally precipitated by the discovery of an even more massive object, Eris.[2] The exclusion of dwarf planets from the roster of planets by the IAU has been both praised and criticized.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

As of July 2008 the International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognizes five dwarf planets: Ceres in the asteroid belt, and Pluto, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris in the outer Solar System.[9]

Only two of these bodies, Ceres and Pluto, have been observed in enough detail to demonstrate that they actually fit the IAU's definition. The IAU accepted Eris as a dwarf planet because it is more massive than Pluto. They subsequently decided that unnamed trans-Neptunian objects with an absolute magnitude brighter than +1 (and hence a diameter of ≥838 km assuming a geometric albedo of ≤1)[10] are to be named under the assumption that they are dwarf planets.[11]

The classification of bodies in other planetary systems with the characteristics of dwarf planets has not been addressed

Starting in 1801, astronomers discovered Ceres and other bodies between Mars and Jupiter which were for decades considered to be planets. Between then and around 1851, when the number of planets had reached 23, astronomers started using the word asteroid for the smaller bodies and then stopped naming or classifying them as planets

With the discovery of Pluto in 1930, most astronomers considered the Solar System to have nine planets, along with thousands of significantly smaller bodies (asteroids and comets). For almost 50 years Pluto was thought to be larger than Mercury,[14][15] but with the discovery in 1978 of Pluto's moon Charon, it became possible to measure Pluto's mass accurately and to determine that it was much smaller than initial estimates.[16] It was roughly one-twentieth the mass of Mercury, which made Pluto by far the smallest planet. Although it was still more than ten times as massive as the largest object in the asteroid belt, Ceres, it had one-fifth the mass of Earth's Moon.[17] Furthermore, having some unusual characteristics, such as large orbital eccentricity and a high orbital inclination, it became evident that it was a different kind of body from any of the other planets.[18]

In the 1990s, astronomers began to find objects in the same region of space as Pluto (now known as the Kuiper belt), and some even farther away.[19] Many of these shared several of Pluto's key orbital characteristics, and Pluto started being seen as the largest member of a new class of objects, plutinos. This led some astronomers to stop referring to Pluto as a planet. Several terms, including subplanet and planetoid, started to be used for the bodies now known as dwarf planets.[20][21] By 2005, three trans-Neptunian objects comparable in size to Pluto (Quaoar, Sedna, and Eris) had been reported.[22] It became clear that either they would also have to be classified as planets, or Pluto would have to be reclassified.[23] Astronomers were also confident that more objects as large as Pluto would be discovered, and the number of planets would start growing quickly if Pluto were to remain a planet.[24]

Eris (then known as 2003 UB313) was discovered in January 2005;[25] it was thought to be slightly larger than Pluto, and some reports informally referred to it as the tenth planet.[26] As a consequence, the issue became a matter of intense debate during the IAU General Assembly in August 2006.[27] The IAU's initial draft proposal included Charon, Eris, and Ceres in the list of planets. After many astronomers objected to this proposal, an alternative was drawn up by the Uruguayan astronomers Julio Ángel Fernández and Gonzalo Tancredi: they proposed an intermediate category for objects large enough to be round but which had not cleared their orbits of planetesimals. Dropping Charon from the list, the new proposal also removed Pluto, Ceres, and Eris, because they have not cleared their orbits

Answered: Do all fruits have the same number of seeds

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:34:19 +0000

Not all fruits have the same number of seeds some like the mango, have only one large seed others like papaya have many tiny seeds.

Answered: What is Jupiter

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:22:55 +0000

Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a giant planet with a mass one-thousandth that of the Sun, but two-and-a-half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined. Jupiter and Saturn are gas giants; the other two giant planets, Uranus and Neptune, are ice giants. Jupiter has been known to astronomers since antiquity.[17] It is named after the Roman god Jupiter.[18] When viewed from Earth, Jupiter can reach an apparent magnitude of −2.94, bright enough for its reflected light to cast shadows,[19] and making it on average the third-brightest natural object in the night sky after the Moon and Venus.

Jupiter is primarily composed of hydrogen with a quarter of its mass being helium, though helium comprises only about a tenth of the number of molecules. It may also have a rocky core of heavier elements,[20] but like the other giant planets, Jupiter lacks a well-defined solid surface. Because of its rapid rotation, the planet's shape is that of an oblate spheroid (it has a slight but noticeable bulge around the equator). The outer atmosphere is visibly segregated into several bands at different latitudes, resulting in turbulence and storms along their interacting boundaries. A prominent result is the Great Red Spot, a giant storm that is known to have existed since at least the 17th century when it was first seen by telescope. Surrounding Jupiter is a faint planetary ring system and a powerful magnetosphere. Jupiter has 79 known moons,[21] including the four large Galilean moons discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610. Ganymede, the largest of these, has a diameter greater than that of the planet Mercury.

Jupiter has been explored on several occasions by robotic spacecraft, most notably during the early Pioneer and Voyager flyby missions and later by the Galileo orbiter. In late February 2007, Jupiter was visited by the New Horizons probe, which used Jupiter's gravity to increase its speed and bend its trajectory en route to Pluto. The latest probe to visit the planet is Juno, which entered into orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016.[22][23] Future targets for exploration in the Jupiter system include the probable ice-covered liquid ocean of its moon Europa.

Answered: What is air made of.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:19:10 +0000

Air is made up of different gases. oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and water vapours are present in the air.

A deep breath after climbing a flight of stairs…a cool breeze on a scorching-hot summer day…a warm draft from a fire on a chilly winter night…what do all of these things have in common? If you guessed "air," then you're correct!

But what exactly IS air? It's all around you, right? After all, you breathe in and out hundreds upon hundreds of times each day. Yet, you can't really see the air around you unless it interacts with something.

For example, if you open the window and the curtains flutter, you know that air is coming through the window, pushing the curtains around. Despite this evidence, you can't really see the air itself, though.

Have you ever WONDERed about the air all around you? What is it made of? How can it be so important and yet remain so elusive and mysterious?

Many people assume that air is mostly made up of oxygen, since that's what our bodies need so desperately from the air we breathe. While oxygen is an important part of air, there are many other things in air other than oxygen.

Oxygen accounts for about 21% of air. However, the amount of oxygen in the air isn't the same everywhere you go. The farther you move away from sea level, the less oxygen you'll find in the air. For example, there's less oxygen in the air at the peaks of tall mountains. That's why mountain climbers often have to use oxygen tanks to ascend to the world's highest peaks, such as Mount Everest.

Around 78% of air is actually made up of another common gas called nitrogen. If you're adding up those percentages in your head, you've probably already figured out that oxygen and nitrogen only make up about 99% of air. So what's in that other 1%?

Besides oxygen and nitrogen, air also contains minute amounts of other gases, such as argon, carbon dioxide, helium, methane, and other trace gases. But that's not all! You'll also find other things in air, like dust, pollen, microbes, spores, and even water!

Water vapor in air is a natural part of the water cycle. Humans feel the water vapor in the air as moisture, especially when it's humid outside. Remember those hot summer days when it felt like the air was wet but it wasn't raining? That's humidity.

Answered: Why scorpions and spiders are not insects

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:16:35 +0000

Spiders and scorpions are not insects. That is because they have two parts to their bodies. They have eight legs and do not have antennae and wings.

Answered: Why scorpions and spiders are not insects

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:10:04 +0000

Spiders and scorpions are not insects. That is because they have two parts to their bodies. They have eight legs and do not have antennae and wings.

Many insects are possessed of a luminous preparation or secretion, which has all the advantages of our lamps and candles, without their inconveniences; which gives light sufficient to direct our motion; which is incapable of burning; and whose lustre is maintained without needing fresh supplies of oil, or the application of snuffers.

Of the insects thus singularly provided, the common Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) is the most familiar instance. -This insect in shape somewhat resembles a caterpillar, only it is much more depressed; and the light proceeds from a pale-coloured patch that terminates, the underside of the abdomen.

It has been supposed by many, that the males of the different species of lampyris do not possess the property of giving out any light; but it is now ascertained that this supposition is inaccurate, though their light is much less vivid than that of the female. Ray first pointed out this fact with respect to (L. noctiluca.) Geoffrey also observed, that the male of this species has four small luminous points, two on each of the two last segments of the belly: and his observation has been recently confirmed by Miller. This last entomologist, indeed, saw only two shining spots; but from the insects having the power of withdrawing them out of sight, so that not the smallest trace of light remains, he thinks it is not improbable that at times two other points, still smaller, may be exhibited, as Geoffrey has described. In the males of L. splendidula, and of L. hemiptera, the light is very distinct, and may be seen in the former while flying. The females have the same faculty of extinguishing or concealing their light; a very necessary provision to guard them from the attacks of nocturnal birds. Mr. White even thinks that they regularly put it out between eleven and twelve every night, and they have also the power of rendering it for a while more vivid than ordinary.

Though many of the females of the different species of lam pyris are without wings, and even elytra, fin Coleoptera,) this is not the case with all. The female of L. Italica, a species common in Italy, and which, if we may trust to the accuracy of the account given by Mr. Waller, in the Philosophical Transactions for 1684, would seem to have been taken by him in Hertfordshire, is winged; and when a number of these moving stars are seen to dart through the air in a dark light, nothing can have a more beautiful effect. Dr. Smith says, that the beaus of Italy are accustomed in an evening to adorn the heads of the ladies with these artificial diamonds, by sticking them into their hair; and a similar custom prevails amongst the ladies of India.

Besides the golden species of the genus Lampuris, all of which are probably more or less luminous, another insect of the beetle tribe, Elater noctilucus, is endowed with the same property, and that in a much higher degree. This insect, which is an inch long, and about one-third of an inch broad, gives out its principal light from two transparent eye-like tubercles placed upon the thorax; but there are also two luminous patches concealed under the elytra, which are not visible except when the insect is flying, at which time it appears adorned with four brilliant gems of the most beautiful golden-blue lustre: in fact, the whole body is full of light, which shines out between the abdominal segments when stretched. The light emitted by the two thoracic tubercles alone is so considerable, that the smallest print may be read by moving one of these insects along the lines; and in the West India islands, particularly in St. Domingo, where they are very common, the natives were formerly accustomed to employ those living lamps, which they called cucuij instead of candles, in performing their evening household occu pations. In travelling at night, they used to tie one to each great toe; and in fishing and hunting, required no other flam beau. - Pietro Martire's Decades of the New World, quoted in Madoc, p. 543. Southey has happily introduced this insect ir. his "Madoc," as furnishing the lamp by which Coatel rescued the British hero from the hands of the Mexican priests.

Answered: What are luminous insects.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 10:03:06 +0000

Some small insects, like fire flies and glow worms, give out their own light. They are luminous.

Many insects are possessed of a luminous preparation or secretion, which has all the advantages of our lamps and candles, without their inconveniences; which gives light sufficient to direct our motion; which is incapable of burning; and whose lustre is maintained without needing fresh supplies of oil, or the application of snuffers.

Of the insects thus singularly provided, the common Glow-worm (Lampyris noctiluca) is the most familiar instance. -This insect in shape somewhat resembles a caterpillar, only it is much more depressed; and the light proceeds from a pale-coloured patch that terminates, the underside of the abdomen.

It has been supposed by many, that the males of the different species of lampyris do not possess the property of giving out any light; but it is now ascertained that this supposition is inaccurate, though their light is much less vivid than that of the female. Ray first pointed out this fact with respect to (L. noctiluca.) Geoffrey also observed, that the male of this species has four small luminous points, two on each of the two last segments of the belly: and his observation has been recently confirmed by Miller. This last entomologist, indeed, saw only two shining spots; but from the insects having the power of withdrawing them out of sight, so that not the smallest trace of light remains, he thinks it is not improbable that at times two other points, still smaller, may be exhibited, as Geoffrey has described. In the males of L. splendidula, and of L. hemiptera, the light is very distinct, and may be seen in the former while flying. The females have the same faculty of extinguishing or concealing their light; a very necessary provision to guard them from the attacks of nocturnal birds. Mr. White even thinks that they regularly put it out between eleven and twelve every night, and they have also the power of rendering it for a while more vivid than ordinary.

Though many of the females of the different species of lam pyris are without wings, and even elytra, fin Coleoptera,) this is not the case with all. The female of L. Italica, a species common in Italy, and which, if we may trust to the accuracy of the account given by Mr. Waller, in the Philosophical Transactions for 1684, would seem to have been taken by him in Hertfordshire, is winged; and when a number of these moving stars are seen to dart through the air in a dark light, nothing can have a more beautiful effect. Dr. Smith says, that the beaus of Italy are accustomed in an evening to adorn the heads of the ladies with these artificial diamonds, by sticking them into their hair; and a similar custom prevails amongst the ladies of India.

Besides the golden species of the genus Lampuris, all of which are probably more or less luminous, another insect of the beetle tribe, Elater noctilucus, is endowed with the same property, and that in a much higher degree. This insect, which is an inch long, and about one-third of an inch broad, gives out its principal light from two transparent eye-like tubercles placed upon the thorax; but there are also two luminous patches concealed under the elytra, which are not visible except when the insect is flying, at which time it appears adorned with four brilliant gems of the most beautiful golden-blue lustre: in fact, the whole body is full of light, which shines out between the abdominal segments when stretched. The light emitted by the two thoracic tubercles alone is so considerable, that the smallest print may be read by moving one of these insects along the lines; and in the West India islands, particularly in St. Domingo, where they are very common, the natives were formerly accustomed to employ those living lamps, which they called cucuij instead of candles, in performing their evening household occu pations. In travelling at night, they used to tie one to each great toe; and in fishing and hunting, required no other flam beau. - Pietro Martire's Decades of the New World, quoted in Madoc, p. 543. Southey has happily introduced this insect ir. his "Madoc," as furnishing the lamp by which Coatel rescued the British hero from the hands of the Mexican priests.

Answered: How sounds can be high and low

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:59:28 +0000

A guitar string plucked strongly makes a loud sound. A guitar string plucked gently makes a soft sound. A drum skin hit hard makes a loud sound. A drum skin hit gently makes a soft sound.

Pitch is a term used to refer to the height or lowness of a sound. The pitch of a sound is determined by the frequency of the sound waves. A higher pitch has a higher frequency. The noted called A that is the first A above middle C is often used as a note for tuning instruments to match each other, and has the frequency of 440Hz.

Answered: What is circuit?

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:37:05 +0000

The path along which the electric current flows is called a circuit.

Answered: What are functions of ears

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:30:50 +0000

Our ears pickup all the sounds around us our ears help us to hear and also to keep our balance.

The ear isn’t just the hearing organ. It is a complex system of parts that not only allows humans to hear, but also makes it possible for humans to walk.

Size

Ears come in many shapes and sizes. Typically, men’s ears are larger than women’s, according to a study in the journal Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Researchers also found that the average ear is about 2.5 inches (6.3 centimeters) long, and the average ear lobe is 0.74 inches (1.88 cm) long and 0.77 inches (1.96 cm) wide. They also noted that the ear does indeed get larger as a person ages.

Another study at Texas Tech University confirmed this observation. The study found that as people age, the ear's circumference increases on average 0.51 millimeters per year, likely due to aging changes of collagen. A correlation between age and ear circumference can be put into an equation: Ear circumference in mm = 88.1 + (0.51 x subject's age). Conversely, a person’s age can therefore be calculated by the size of a person’s ear, using the equation: Subject's age = 1.96 x (Ear circumference in mm – 88.1)

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Function

The ear has three main parts: external ear, middle ear and inner ear. They all have different, but important, features that facilitate hearing and balance.

Hearing

The external ear, also called the auricle or pinna, is the loop of cartilage and skin that is attached to outside of the head. It works much like a megaphone. Sound is funneled through the external ear and piped into the external auditory canal, according to Nebraska Medicine. The auditory canal is the part of the ear hole that can easily be seen when looking an ear up close.

Answered: Which planets do not have any moons

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:27:23 +0000

Mercury and venus do not have their own moons.

Mercury and Venus are the two planets that have no moons. The other planets in the solar system have a combined total of 146 moons, with 27 more potential moons waiting for confirmation.

Not all moons are round, like Earth's moon. Moons come in other shapes and sizes, and some planets have many moons.

Earth has only one moon.

The planet Mars comes in next, with two moons.

The planet Neptune is listed as having 13 moons.

The planet Uranus is listed as having 27 moons.

Jupiter currently has 50 recognized moons, but another 17 moons are waiting to be confirmed.

The planet Saturn is said to have 53 moons, and another nine moons are waiting to be confirmed as official.

Pluto has three moons.

Answered: What is moon.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:24:08 +0000

A moon is a natural satellite; it is a space object that orbits a planet.

Before the invention of the telescope in the early 1600’s, man just knew of the Moon — a round, mysterious astronomical object that people would gaze up to in the night sky. As time progressed however, astronomers discovered that the moon isn’t exactly unique to earthlings, and other planets had their own moons. So exactly what is a moon?

A moon is defined to be a celestial body that makes an orbit around a planet, including the eight major planets, dwarf planets, and minor planets. A moon may also be referred to as a natural satellite, although to differentiate it from other astronomical bodies orbiting another body, e.g. a planet orbiting a star, the term moon is used exclusively to make a reference to a planet’s natural satellite.

The first moons to be discovered outside of the Earth’s moon were the Galilean moons of Jupiter, named after astronomer and discoverer Galileo Galilei. The moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto are Jupiter’s largest and only the first four to be revealed, as to date, the planet has 63 moons.

Other than the four Galilean moons, Saturn’s Titan and Neptune’s Triton are two other moons which are comparable in size to the Earth’s Moon. In fact, these seven moons are the largest natural satellites in the solar system, measuring more than 3,000 kilometers in diameter. Only the inner planets Mercury and Venus have no moons.

An interesting fact about some of the solar system’s largest moons that most people may not be aware of is that a few of them are geologically active. While we may not see the Moon spewing lava or displaying any evidence of tectonic activity, Jupiter’s Io and Europa, Saturn’s Titan and Enceladus, and Neptune’s Triton have been found to be volcanically active bodies.

If the moon count had a grand total of just one in the olden times, that number has ballooned to 336 as of July 2009, with 168 moons orbiting the six planets, while the rest are moons of dwarf planets, asteroids moons, and natural satellites of Trans-Neptunian objects.

As more and more discoveries are made however, astronomers may find it more difficult to put a really defining line on what can or what can’t be classified as a moon. For instance, can you consider a 10-inch rock that’s orbiting Jupiter a moon? If yes, then there could be thousands or even millions of moons out there. If not, then where do you draw the line? Obviously, even the size of an “official” moon is still up for debate, so other than the simple definition of it being a natural satellite of a planet, there really is no clear cut answer to the question, “What is a moon?”.

Here in Universe Today, we have a nice collection of articles that explain why the Moon landings could not have been faked. Here are some of them:

Moon Rocks – Discusses how the Moon rocks are one of the most tangible objects that prove the landings took place.

Answered: How many legs do insects have

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:21:20 +0000

All insects have three pairs of legs joined to their thorax

An insect has six legs. Insects' legs are jointed, and the movement of these joints is controlled by a combination of partial musculature and passive biomechanical non-muscular structures. Some insects also have a clawlike structure on the last segments of their legs.

All insects also have three major body regions, which typically consist of a head, a thorax and an abdomen. All insects also have bilateral symmetry. Insects begin their lives as eggs and undergo a metamorphosis before becoming adults. Winged insects have either one pair of wings (such as a housefly or a mosquito) or two pairs of wings (such as a bee or a dragonfly).

Answered: How insects are different from birds.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:17:58 +0000

Birds have bones while insects do not have bones. Insect have wings attached to the thorax.

Introduction

Birds and insects are very different from each other. While it is interesting to explore both of them individually, one fact is understood and widely known that there are a lot of species of birds and insects on this planet and many sciences have come into existence just to search all of the species that were and are present in the world at the moment. While insects do fly as well, but are they birds? No, and that is because of the differences that both of these separate classes of creatures share.

History

Birds are very peculiar species that the human race has been jealous of ever since the beginning of time, because birds are able to fly and humans are not. They have inspired man to create airplanes. But can all birds fly? No, and the chicken is a perfect example of that. Not only the chicken, but the ostrich, emu, cassowary, rhea, kiwi and penguin are well known examples of birds that cannot fly. Like birds, there are some species of insects that cannot fly as well, such as the grasshopper. But both birds and insects dominate the skies, and have always done so since the beginning of time. There are many differences between birds and insects. Birds are vertebrate animals, whereas insects are invertebrate. Also, only a small number of bird species are flightless, but as far as insects are concerned, there are many flightless insect species on this planet such as ants, termites etc.

Features

Although birds and insects both can fly, they both do not have the same body structures or characteristics. Birds are vertebrate animals that are feathered, bipedal, egg-laying and warm-blooded whereas insects belong to the class of arthropods and posses an exoskeleton with a body that is divided into 3 parts (thorax, head and abdomen), jointed legs in a pairs of 3, two antennas and compound eyes. Also, there is a huge difference in their size as well. While there are some bird species that are small, still they are not as small as insects. An insect’s size ranges roughly from 2cm to 28 inches, whereas a bird’s size ranges from 2.5 inches to 9 feet, so generally birds are bigger than insects. Also the growth patterns of both the birds and the insects is completely different from each other since birds grow in a single form throughout their life, insects go through metamorphosis and change their form to become adults.

Answered: How are sounds useful

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:12:45 +0000

Human beings and animals use sounds is many ways. We use sound when we talk to each other, or when we alert others of danger.

Many marine animals rely on sound for survival and depend on unique adaptations that enable them to communicate, protect themselves, locate food, navigate underwater, and/or understand their environment. They may both produce sounds and listen to the sounds around them.

Sounds are particularly useful for communication because they can be used to convey a great deal of information quickly and over long distances. Changes in rate, pitch, and/or structure of sounds communicate different messages. In particular, fishes and marine mammals use sound for communications associated with reproduction and territoriality. Some marine mammals also use sound for the maintenance of group structure.

Similar to sonar systems on ships, some whales use sound to detect, localize, and characterize objects. By emitting clicks, or short pulses of sound, these marine mammals can listen for echoes and detect objects underwater. This is called echolocation. Some whales and dolphins use echolocation to locate food. They send out pulsed sounds that are reflected back when they strike a target. The analysis of the echoes helps the animals determine the size and shape of an object, its location, whether it is moving, and how far away it is. Echolocation is an effective way to locate prey and also helps whales and dolphins analyze their environment.

Many species of fish and aquatic invertebrates also use sound. Fishes produce various sounds, including grunts, croaks, clicks, and snaps, that are used to attract mates as well as ward off predators.

The life history of many coral reef fishes includes a pelagic larval stage that metamorphoses to the juvenile stage. Late stage larvae and transforming juveniles need to reach suitable reef habitats to mature. There is some evidence that underwater reef sounds may be detected by coral reef fish (and invertebrate) larvae guiding them to coastal areas and allowing them to identify suitable settlement habitats Different coastal habitat types have been found to produce different ambient sounds over short distances.

Answered: What are rays

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:09:28 +0000

Light travels in straight lines called rays.

How many parts do insects have write names

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 09:07:42 +0000

Answered: Why do we need energy

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:58:51 +0000

We are using energy all the time. Without energy, we would not be able to use our brains, or make our muscles move. Energy moves cars along the road, bakes a cake in the oven and lights our home.

Asleep, awake, eating, bathing, grooming, working or engaging in passionate pursuits, you need energy, which is supplied from your diet in the form of calories. Energy fuels your body’s internal functions, repairs, builds and maintains cells and body tissues, and supports the external activities that enable you to interact with the physical world. Water, your body’s most important nutrient, helps facilitate the chemical reactions that produce energy from food.

Basal Metabolism

Basal metabolic rate, or BMR, is the minimal amount of energy needed to keep your body functioning and alive while at rest. BMR uses about 60 to 65 percent of daily energy stores, according to the University of Maryland School of Medicine. In the resting state, energy supports circulation, respiration, digestion, excretion and other functions performed by vital organs. Seven percent of your total energy supply keeps your body warm. Energy needs differ according to age, gender, body composition, health status, diet and activity level.

Body Composition

Body composition is one determinant of energy requirements. Muscle is the body’s most metabolic tissue, which means it requires more energy than other body tissues to maintain itself. Because they are naturally more muscular, men need more energy – calories – than women do. Children and young adults undergoing developmental changes in height, weight and body composition have greater energy needs. Energy requirements change as people age, because muscle tissue atrophies, causing a reduction in basal energy metabolism, according to the Colorado State University Extension website.

Digestion and Absorption

Digestion and absorption of the nutrients in food use 5 to 10 percent of your daily energy stores to produce more energy, according to the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Diet composition also determines energy requirements for food metabolism. Carbohydrates, protein and fats are digested at different rates. Digesting protein uses the most energy, or about 20 to 30 percent of the calories in the food. Carbohydrates use 5 to 10 percent of calories and fat uses 0 to 3 percent.

Answered: How does current flow through a complete circuit

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:55:12 +0000

The current flows out through one end of the battery and flows back in through the other end, so the loop or chain is complete.

Answered: How does a paper made.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:49:48 +0000

Paper is made from wood. Wood is finely chopped and mixed with water to make a soft pulp. The pulp is then turned into paper.

Paper is one of mankind’s most revolutionary inventions. The invention of paper finally put an end to the cumbersome task of carving on wood or stone. In fact, the scope of information mankind could now limn was so enlarged that paper wasn’t merely used to catalogue the details of trade, but of daily events, to express feelings, wisdom, to write poems, to write stories we tell ourselves to transcend or escape the mundanity of life or stories that nature whispers to the ones who are keen to listen.

No one is quite sure when the first sheet of paper was invented. What we do know is that it was invented some centuries ago in China, from where China’s extraordinary trading network ensured that it was eventually exported to other countries. However, how did the Chinese create it?

Trees

Surely, everyone is aware that paper is made from trees, but you’d be surprised to know that it is not made from their thin and soft leaves but rather their hard and rugged logs! A logical question, of course, is how does a rigid, inflexible log bear something as flexible and foldable as paper?

What the Chinese first did was peel the bark off the logs. The large cylinders of wood were then diced into chips as small as a few inches. The chips were dissolved and cooked in boiling water to form what is called a pulp. The cooking ensured that the wood was purged of its robust attributes. The pulp was then left to dry in a rectangular vessel. The solution, like cement, would gradually and completely dry to assume the shape of its container. What materialized was a thin, rectangular sheet of paper.

Answered: What do astronomers use to study space.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:46:13 +0000

They use telescopes to study planets, stars, and other objects in space

Humans have long gazed toward the heavens, searching to put meaning and order to the universe around them. Although the movement of constellations — patterns imprinted on the night sky — were the easiest to track, other celestial events such as eclipses and the motion of planets were also charted and predicted.

Definition of astronomy: Astronomy is the study of the sun, moon, stars, planets, comets, gas, galaxies, gas, dust and other non-Earthly bodies and phenomena. In curriculum for K-4 students, NASA defines astronomy as simple "the study of stars, planets and space." Astronomy and astrology were historically associated, but astrology is not a science and is no longer recognized as having anything to do with astronomy. Below we discuss the history of astronomy and related fields of study, including cosmology.

Historically, astronomy has focused on observations of heavenly bodies. It is a close cousin to astrophysics. Succinctly put, astrophysics involves the study of the physics of astronomy and concentrates on the behavior, properties and motion of objects out there. However, modern astronomy includes many elements of the motions and characteristics of these bodies, and the two terms are often used interchangeably today.

Unlike most other fields of science, astronomers are unable to observe a system entirely from birth to death; the lifetime of worlds, stars, and galaxies span millions to billions of years. Instead, astronomers must rely on snapshots of bodies in various stages of evolution to determine how they formed, evolved and died. Thus, theoretical and observational astronomy tend to blend together, as theoretical scientists use the information actually collected to create simulations, while the observations serve to confirm the models — or to indicate the need for tweaking them.

Astronomy is broken down into a number of subfields, allowing scientists to specialize in particular objects and phenomena.

Answered: What is germination of seed.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:37:29 +0000

Definition - What does Germination mean?

Germination is the budding of a seed after it has been planted in soil and remained dormant for a certain period of time. For plants and fruits that reproduce through seeds and pollen, the seeds eventually grow into young plants through the process of seed germination. When seeds are planted, they remain inactive until conditions are suitable for germination.

For germination to occur various conditions must be met such as the proper amounts of water, oxygen, temperature, and light. When these conditions are met, the seed begins to enlarge as it takes in water and oxygen. The seed's coat breaks open and a root or radicle emerges from the seed, which is followed by a plant shoot. This initial stage of a plant’s development is germination.

MaximumYield explains Germination

Germination is a form of propagation that occurs in most plants. The process can be initiated by the absorption of water and oxygen, coupled with the seed's surrounding temperature, light sensitivity and intensity, etc.

Before germination occurs, the seed does not have the required nutrients for plant growth. When the seed receives the nutrients and water required, then enzymes inside the seed are activated and the process of growth begins.

First, a root grows from the seed, which allows the plant to have access to more water. Next, shoots or plumules (above ground) begin to grow, including the stem and leaves that harness the sun’s energy for more development.

There are several factors that can affect the germination process. Water is vital to germination because the seed must undergo imbibition to stimulate root growth. However, too much water can be a harmful because oxygen may not reach the growing seed.

Additionally, different seeds require different temperatures for optimum growth. Some only grow in cold temperatures while others require high temperatures.

Light intensity also affects seed germination. Upon reaching the surface, plants undergo a light-dependent transformation called photomorphogenesis.

Answered: What are uses of plastics

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:34:25 +0000

Plastics are used to make all sorts of things, such as plastic bags plastic bottles and toys.

Most modern plastics are based on organic chemicals which offer a huge range of physical properties to manufacturers — the range of formulations is vast and still growing. There was a time when anything made of plastic was considered to be of inferior quality, but those days are past. You are probably wearing plastic right now — maybe a polyester/cotton mix garment or even spectacles or a watch with plastic components.

The versatility of plastic materials comes from the ability to mold, laminate or shape them, and to tailor them physically and chemically. There is a plastic suitable for almost any application. Plastics do not corrode, though they can degrade in UV (a component of sunlight) and can be affected by solvents — for example, PVC plastic is soluble in acetone.

However, because many plastics are so durable and do not corrode, they create considerable disposal problems. They are not good for the landfill as many will persist for hundreds of years and when incinerated, dangerous gases can be produced. Many supermarkets now give us one-time grocery bags — leave them in a cupboard for a year and all you will have left is dust — they are engineered to degrade. Perversely, some plastics can be cured (hardened) by UV — that just goes to show how varied their formulas are.

We are getting wiser, though, and now many plastics can be chemically, mechanically, or thermally recycled.

Answered: What do we use in our daily life

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:19:02 +0000

In our daily lives we use many materials the buildings we live, work, and play in are made of different materials; so are our clothes, furniture and different kinds of transport.

You come into contact with magnets many times in the course of your daily life. They play an important role in a wide range of devices including simple toys, computers, credit cards, MRI machines and business equipment. Magnets range in size from barely-visible specks to industrial monsters weighing tons. Though some are plainly visible, others are often tucked inside the inner workings of appliances and other household, medical and commercial items, doing their job silently and unseen.

Computers and Electronics

Many computers use magnets to store data on hard drives. Magnets alter the direction of a magnetic material on a hard disk in segments that then represent computer data. Later, computers read the direction of each segment of magnetic material to "read" the data. The small speakers found in computers, televisions and radios also use magnets; inside the speaker, a wire coil and magnet converts electronic signals into sound vibrations.

Electric Power and Other Industries

Magnets offer many benefits to the industrial world. Magnets in electric generators turn mechanical energy into electricity, while some motors use magnets to convert electricity back into mechanical work. In recycling, electrically-powered magnets in cranes grab and move large pieces of metal, some weighing thousands of pounds. Mines use magnetic sorting machines to separate useful metallic ores from crushed rock. In food processing, magnets remove small metal bits from grains and other food. Farmers use magnets to catch pieces of metal that cows eat out in the field. The cow swallows the magnet with its food; as it moves through the animal’s digestive system it traps metal fragments.

Answered: What is fastest thing in the universe

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:14:47 +0000

Light is the fastest thing in the universe it travels much faster than sound.

The first thing that i am prety sure of is light speed.

DarkPrince of Awesomeness

1. Fastest thing in the universe is supposedly the expansion of space itself

2. After that come all photons (electromagnetic waves including light) in pure vacuum (space not affected by gravity in general relativity).

2.1. Gravity waves also supposedly travel with the speed of light.

3. #3 would then be cosmic ray particles. Fastest one ever detected, the so called "The Oh-My-God Particle" with the energy of (3.2 +/- 0.9) * 10^20 electron volts and the speed 0.9999999999999999999999951 c, 1.467 * 10^(−15) metres per second slower than light. After traveling one light year, the particle would be only 0.15 femtoseconds (46 nanometers) behind a photon that left at the same time.

Answered: What are pests.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:12:15 +0000

Some insects are called pests they destroy leaves, fruits, and seeds.

A pest is any animal or plant which has a harmful effect on humans, their food or their living conditions. Pests include animals which:

carry disease-causing micro-organisms and parasites, for example, mosquitoes which carry Ross River virus and Murray Valley encephalitis.

attack and eat vegetable and cereal crops, for example, caterpillars and grasshoppers.

damage stored food. For example, rats and mice may eat grain in silos, rice or biscuits in shops and homes and contaminate this food with their faeces (droppings) and urine.

attack and eat farm and station animals. For example, feral dogs (dingoes) kill or maim many sheep and goats each year; foxes will kill poultry, lambs and many species of native wildlife; and feral cats also prey on native wildlife.

damage clothing. Silverfish, for example, eat holes in clothes.

damage buildings. For example, termites can cause considerable damage to timber in buildings.

bite people. For example, bed bugs (so called because they often bite people in their beds) are very difficult and expensive to control. Their bites can cause great irritation to those bitten and, like mosquito bites, can become infected if scratched.

There are thousands of different kinds of pests which are harmful to humans. The great majority of these are types of insect.

Answered: How many sense organs do we have? Name them.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:08:41 +0000

We have sense organs. They are the eyes, nose, ears, tongue and skin.

The sense organs — eyes, ears, tongue, skin, and nose — help to protect the body. The human sense organs contain receptors that relay information through sensory neurons to the appropriate places within the nervous system.

Each sense organ contains different receptors.

General receptors are found throughout the body because they are present in skin, visceral organs (visceral meaning in the abdominal cavity), muscles, and joints.

Special receptors include chemoreceptors (chemical receptors) found in the mouth and nose, photoreceptors (light receptors) found in the eyes, and mechanoreceptors found in the ears.

OOOH, THAT SMELL: OLFACTION

Olfactory cells line the top of your nasal cavity. On one end, olfactory cells have cilia — hair-like attachments — that project into the nasal cavity. On the other end of the cell, are olfactory nerve fibers, which pass through the ethmoid bone and into the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulb is directly attached to the cerebral cortex of your brain.

As you breathe, anything that is in the air that you take in enters your nasal cavity: hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, dust, pollen, chemicals. You don’t “smell” air or dust or pollen, but you can smell chemicals. The olfactory cells are chemoreceptors, which means the olfactory cells have protein receptors that can detect subtle differences in chemicals.

The chemicals bind to the cilia, which generate a nerve impulse that is carried through the olfactory cell, into the olfactory nerve fiber, up to the olfactory bulb and to your brain. Your brain determines what you are smelling. If you are sniffing something that you haven’t experienced before, you need to use another sense, such as taste or sight, to make an imprint in your brain’s memory.

MMM, MMM, GOOD: TASTE

The senses of smell and taste work closely together. If you cannot smell something, you cannot taste it, either. Taste buds on your tongue contain chemoreceptors that work in a similar fashion to the chemoreceptors in the nasal cavity. However, the chemoreceptors in the nose will detect any kind of smell, whereas there are four different types of taste buds, and each detects different types of tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, and salty.

A common misconception is that the little bumps on your tongue are the taste buds. As with all misconceptions, this idea is wrong, too. The little bumps on your tongue are called papillae, and the taste buds actually lie down in the grooves between each papilla.

Foods contain chemicals, and when you put something into your mouth, the taste buds in your tongue can detect what chemicals you are ingesting. Each taste bud has a pore at one end with microvilli sticking out of the pore, and sensory nerve fibers attached to the other end. Chemicals from food bind to the microvilli, generating a nerve impulse that is carried through the sensory nerve fibers and eventually to the brain.

NOW HEAR THIS: SOUND

The ear not only is the organ of hearing, but it also is responsible for maintaining equilibrium — or balance. To maintain equilibrium, the ear must detect movement. To hear, the ear must respond to mechanical stimulation by sound waves.

The outer ear is the external opening to the ear canal. Sound waves are shuttled through the ear canal to the middle ear. The eardrum sets the mechanics in motion:

Answered: What are functions of cilia in nostrils

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:06:21 +0000

The cilia filter all kinds of things trying to enter our nose and stop them from going into our lungs.

Answered: What are omnivores? Give examples.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 08:01:55 +0000

The animal that eat both plants and mead of other animals are called omnivores e.g human, bear etc.

Answered: What is the outer ear

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:49:49 +0000

This is the part of ear that we can see. we can also see the opening of the ear canal.

Answered: Which sense is most complex in our body.

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:41:59 +0000

The sense of sight as actually the most complex of the five senses.

The brain is made up of a complex network of billions of nerve cells called neurons, as well as other kinds of cells, all protected by the bones of the skull. The typical brain weighs only about 3 pounds, but it is the source of most qualities that make you who you are. Neurons in the brain and spinal cord are part of the nervous system and act as a body’s “Command Central.”

The brain is constantly active, even when we are asleep. As a matter of fact, asleep or awake, the brain requires 20 percent of the heart’s output of fresh blood and 20 percent of the blood’s oxygen and glucose to keep functioning properly. Glucose is a type of sugar that is our brain’s primary fuel.

The brain produces enough electrical energy to power a 40-watt light bulb for 24 hours. That’s a lot of energy for a human organ a little bigger than a softball.

How many types of taste buds do we have

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:34:41 +0000

How many types of taste buds do we have

Answered: What are taste buds

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:23:52 +0000

Did you ever wonder why your favorite foods taste so good? Well, you can thank your taste buds for letting you appreciate the saltiness of pretzels and the sweetness of ice cream.

Taste buds are sensory organs that are found on your tongue and allow you to experience tastes that are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. How exactly do your taste buds work? Well, stick out your tongue and look in the mirror.

See all those bumps? Those are called papillae (say: puh-PILL-ee), and most of them contain taste buds. Taste buds have very sensitive microscopic hairs called microvilli (say: mye-kro-VILL-eye). Those tiny hairs send messages to the brain about how something tastes, so you know if it's sweet, sour, bitter, or salty.

The average person has about 10,000 taste buds and they're replaced every 2 weeks or so. But as a person ages, some of those taste cells don't get replaced. An older person may only have 5,000 working taste buds. That's why certain foods may taste stronger to you than they do to adults. Smoking also can reduce the number of taste buds a person has.

But before you give taste buds all the credit for your favorite flavors, it's important to thank your nose. Olfactory (say: ahl-FAK-tuh-ree) receptors inside the uppermost part of the nose contain special cells that help you smell. They send messages to the brain.

Here's how it works: While you're chewing, the food releases chemicals that immediately travel up into your nose. These chemicals trigger the olfactory receptors inside the nose. They work together with your taste buds to create the true flavor of that yummy slice of pizza by telling the brain all about it!

When you have a cold or allergies, and your nose is stuffy, you might notice that your food doesn't seem to have much flavor. That's because the upper part of your nose isn't clear to receive the chemicals that trigger the olfactory receptors (that inform the brain and create the sensation of flavor).

Try holding your nose the next time you eat something. You'll notice that your taste buds are able to tell your brain something about what you're eating — that it's sweet, for instance — but you won't be able to pick the exact flavor until you let go of your nose.

So the next time you chomp on an apple or slurp up some soup, thank your tongue — and your nose! Without them, life wouldn't have any flavor.

Answered: What is force? Give example

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:22:24 +0000

Forces are pushes and pulls For example, when you do homework, you exert a force on your pen or pencil, because you push and pull it across the paper.

A force results from the interaction between two objects. A force can be defined as a push or a pull which acts upon an object as a result of its interaction with another object.

When one object exerts a force on another object it always experiences an equal opposing force in return from the object it exerted the force on. Or in other words when two objects interact, the forces they exert on one another are equal and opposite. These forces are referred to as the action and reaction forces.

Forces are measured in units called newtons (N). The unit is named after the famous physicists Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) who Laws of Motion are instrumental in understanding the effects of forces.

Weight

Weight is the force of gravity, which is the pull of the Earth on an object. To understand the force of gravity the concept of mass needs to be understood as well.

The mass of an object is the amount of matter it contains. Thus mass is a measure of how much stuff is in an object. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg) and is the same no matter where the object is located in the universe. For example and object of mass 10kg on the Earth will have the same mass of 10kg on the moon or anywhere else in the universe. Weight on the other hand is a measure of the pull of a planet i.e. Earth on the stuff contained in the object. The direction of the force of gravity is downwards towards the centre of the Earth.

As mentioned earlier when two objects interact they exert equal and opposite forces. The force that opposes the force of gravity in called the Reaction Force. This is equal to the force of gravity and acts in an upwards direction (opposite to the downwards direction of the force of gravity). This is exerted by the object on the earth.

What do flowers produce

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:19:27 +0000

What do flowers produce

Answered: How do plants start life

Wed, 06 Feb 2019 07:18:12 +0000

The plant starts life as a seed, which germinates and grows into a plant.

Plant life-form schemes constitute a way of classifying plants alternatively to the ordinary species-genus-family scientific classification. In colloquial speech, plants may be classified as trees, shrubs, herbs (forbs and graminoids), etc. The scientific use of life-form schemes emphasizes plant function in the ecosystem and that the same function or "adaptedness" to the environment may be achieved in a number of ways, i.e. plant species that are closely related phylogenetically may have widely different life-form, for example Adoxa and Sambucus are from the same family, but the former is a small herbaceous plant and the latter is a shrub or tree. Conversely, unrelated species may share a life-form through convergent evolution.

While taxonomic classification is concerned with the production of natural classifications (being natural understood either in philosophical basis for pre-evolutionary thinking, or phylogenetically as non-polyphyletic), plant life form classifications uses other criteria than naturalness, like morphology, physiology and ecology.

Life-form and growth-form are essentially synonymous concepts, despite attempts to restrict the meaning of growth-form to types differing in shoot architecture.[1] Most life form schemes are concerned with vascular plants only. Plant construction types may be used in a broader sense to encompass planktophytes, benthophytes (mainly algae) and terrestrial plants

History

One of the earliest attempts to classify the life-forms of plants and animals was made by Aristotle, whose writings are lost. His pupil, Theophrastus, in Historia Plantarum (c. 350 BC), was the first who formally recognized plant habits: trees, shrubs and herbs.[3]

Some earlier authors (e.g., Humboldt, 1806) did classify species according to physiognomy,[4][5][6] but were explicit about the entities being merely plactical classes without any relation to plant function. A marked exception was A. P. de Candolle (1818) attempt to construct a natural system of botanical classification.[7] His system was based on the height of the lignified stem and on plant longevity.

Eugenius Warming, in his account, is explicit about his Candollean legacy.[8][9] Warming's first attempt in life-form classification was his work Om Skudbygning, Overvintring og Foryngelse (translated title "On shoot architecture, perennation and rejuvenation" - See line drawings) (1884). The classification was based on his meticulous observations while raising wild plants from seed in the Copenhagen Botanical Garden. Fourteen informal groups were recognized, based on longevity of the plant, power of vegetative propagation, duration of tillers, hypogeous or epigeous type of shoots, mode of wintering, and degree and mode of branching of rhizomes.

The term life-form was first coined by Warming ("livsform") in his 1895 book Plantesamfund,[8] but was translated to "growthform" in the 1909 English version Oecology of Plants.

Warming developed his life-form scheme further in his "On the life forms in the vegetable kingdom".[10] He presented a hierarchic scheme, first dividing plants into heterotrophic and autotrophic, the latter group then into aquatic and terrestrial, the land plants into muscoid, lichenoid, lianoid and all other autonomous land plants, which again were divided into monocarpic and polycarpic. This system was incorporated into the English version of his 1895 book Oecology of Plants.[9] Warming continued working on plant life-forms and intended to develop his system further. However, due to high age and illness, he was able to publish a draft of his last system only[11]

Following Warming's line of emphasizing functional characters, Oscar Drude devised a life-form scheme in his Die Systematische und Geographische Anordnung der Phanerogamen (1887). This was, however, a hybrid between physiognomic and functional classification schemes as it recognized monocots and dicots as groups. Drude later modified his scheme in Deutschlands Pflanzengeographie (1896), and this scheme was adopted by the influential American plant ecologists Frederic Clements and Roscoe Pound [12]

Christen C. Raunkiær's classification (1904) recognized life-forms (first called "biological types") on the basis of plant adaptation to survive the unfavorable season, be it cold or dry, that is the position of buds with respect to the soil surface.[13] In subsequent works, he showed the correspondence between gross climate and the relative abundance of his life-forms