Computational biology

In the book "Ecological Imperialism: The Biological expansion of Europe, 900-1900" the author, Alfred W. Crosby, answers many questions about the history of European expansion. It is a well written and thought out book with great analogies and detailed information that help the reader understand what exactly Crosby is trying to say. He starts off his book by explaining what the "Neo-Europes" are. They are a population who settled in the temperate zones and are mainly European descents. The questions

1 During a great part of my life, I have had many experiences that reinforced my desire to study Biology. My initial interest in the biological field was when I noticed that the Hispanic student population studying sciences was decreasing, and also by the fact that I was so fascinated by the manner in which Biology studies very complex and exciting characteristics of living organisms. Subsequently, I have been impressed by all the great things that you, as a biologist are able to do in an operating

When Charles Darwin presented his theory of natural selection in On the Origin of Species he was aware that it would not easily be accepted. Darwin compares the struggle he anticipates to the challenges encountered in other scientific fields, writing, “The difficulty is the same as felt by so many geologists, when Lyell first insisted that long lines of island cliffs had been formed, and great valleys excavated, by the slow action of the coast-waves” (Darwin, 392). Darwin anticipates that his theory

Huzaifa Khan Ms. Harris Biology 1/3/15 Extra Credit Gattaca Vincent would only live for 30 years, and he would likely die from a 99% chance of a heart condition. Vincent was born the natural way, but Anton was genetically engineered in a laboratory. The doctor did not believe that some traits should be left to chance because they had the technology to create perfect humans. The doctor meant that the child was

Charles Darwin broached the theory of natural selection in his book the Origin of Species, which has been considered the basis of evolutionary biology to this day. Natural selection is when populations of a species evolve over the course of many generations. Darwin believed that species were not created separately, but instead, species were derived from one another. In other words, the evolution of species creates many variations among creatures, and this is because all of those species came from

In this paper I analyze the statement, “To me, the forest looks a deep shade of green,” from a functionalist perspective, and discuss how it provides a sufficient and an insufficient account of conscious mental phenomena. Functionalism claims that mental states are nothing but functional, causal relations between elements in the brain, such as beliefs and desires, and the external world. First, I analyze the given statement from a functionalist stance. Then, I discuss possible objections to functionalism

The Value in Taking Responsibility During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s a series of laws and campaigns were instated to prevent forest fires. It was believed that forest fires would greatly damage the timber industry due to the loss of trees the forests would suffer as a result. The longer these campaigns persisted, the worse the forest fire breakouts became, and the forests continued to degrade. Many animals were also displaced and threatened as a result of these intense fires. Eventually forestry

While the study of human genes is increasingly improving our understanding of human development, it is not solely our genetic makeup that determines how we will develop. Humans as a species share many universal traits, which make it easy to disregard the large influence the environment plays in development. Throughout the lifespan, the environment presents itself in many different positions that help determine and shape human development. By looking at the influence of the environment and genetics

Gould, states “that shared behavioral norms, and the social and economic differences between human groups-primarily races, classes, and sexes-arise from inherited, inborn distinctions and that society, in this sense, is an accurate reflection of biology” (Gould, p.52). He explains this idea further through his explanation of how biological determinism can be measured or assigned based on the craniometry, which is the size of the skull, for at the time it was believed that the larger the skull, the

Inbreeding Depression Inbreeding depression is a widely-studied topic in the fields of not only genetics, but as well as the fields of biology, ecology, etc. Directly speaking, inbreeding depression results in the loss or reduced expression of a trait due to the mating between two closely related organisms (Hartl 547). As of today, there are a plethora of studies and evidence that explain how and why inbreeding occurs within populations even though it is deleterious for the populations. However,