July 23, 2011

biology TRIVIA...

  • A kind of jellyfish (Turritopsis nutricula) upon reaching adulthood can transform itself back to childhood by converting its cells. It may repeat this to live forever.
  • To avoid predators, a mother Slow Loris licks its offspring with poison before sending them off to search for food.
  • The fungus Cordyceps is able to "mind-control" other insects like ants to climb plants and attach there to become its food.
  • Some migratory birds have a "magnetic compass" in their body (a sense called Magnetoreception) to help them navigate using Earth's magnetic field.
  • The biggest egg in the world is the ostrich egg. It could take as many as 30 chicken eggs to equal its volume, and up to 2 hours to hard boil.
  • The catfish father keeps the eggs in his mouth until they are ready to be hatched.
  • The largest frog in the world is The Goliath Frog of Gabon in West Africa and can grow as big as 33cm long and up to 3kg heavy.

June 16, 2011

Scientific Method..

The principles and empirical processes of discovery anddemonstration considered characteristic of or necessary forscientific investigation, generally involving the observation ofphenomena, the formulation of a hypothesis concerning thephenomena, experimentation to demonstrate the truth or falsenessof the hypothesis, and a conclusion that validates or modifies the hypothesis.


What are the steps in scientific method?

  • Ask and define the question.



  • Gather information and resources through observation.



  • Form a hypothesis.



  • Perform one or more experiments and collect and sort data.



  • Analyze the data.



  • Interpret the data and make conclusions that point to a hypothesis.



  • Formulate a "final" or "finished" hypothesis.
  • June 15, 2011

    Biology by sir Esporas..

    Biology, the science of life. The term was introduced in Germany in 1800 and popularized by the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck as a means of encompassing the growing number of disciplines involved with the study of living forms. The unifying concept of biology received its greatest stimulus from the English zoologist Thomas Henry Huxley, who was also an important educator. Huxley insisted that the conventional segregation of zoology and botany was intellectually meaningless and that all living things should be studied in an integrated way. Huxley’s approach to the study of biology is even more cogent today, because scientists now realize that many lower organisms are neither plants nor animals (see Prokaryote; Protista). The limits of the science, however, have always been difficult to determine, and as the scope of biology has shifted over the years, its subject areas have been changed and reorganized. Today biology is subdivided into hierarchies based on the molecule, the cell, the organism, and the population.
    Molecular biology, which spans biophysics and biochemistry, has made the most fundamental contributions to modern biology. Much is now known about the structure and action of nucleic acids and protein, the key molecules of all living matter. The discovery of the mechanism of heredity was a major breakthrough in modern science. Another important advance was in understanding how molecules conduct metabolism, that is, how they process the energy needed to sustain life.
    Cellular biology is closely linked with molecular biology. To understand the functions of the cell—the basic structural unit of living matter—cell biologists study its components on the molecular level. Organismal biology, in turn, is related to cellular biology, because the life functions of multicellular organisms are governed by the activities and interactions of their cellular components. The study of organisms includes their growth and development (developmental biology) and how they function (physiology). Particularly important are investigations of the brain and nervous system (neurophysiology) and animal behavior (ethology).
    Population biology became firmly established as a major subdivision of biological studies in the 1970s. Central to this field is evolutionary biology, in which the contributions of Charles Darwin have been fully appreciated after a long period of neglect. Population genetics, the study of gene changes in populations, and ecology, the study of populations in their natural habitats, have been established subject areas since the 1930s. These two fields were combined in the 1960s to form a rapidly developing new discipline often called, simply, population biology. Closely associated is a new development in animal-behavior studies called sociobiology, which focuses on the genetic contribution to social interactions among animal populations.
    Biology also includes the study of humans at the molecular, cellular, and organismal levels. If the focus of investigation is the application of biological knowledge to human health, the study is often termed biomedicine. Human populations are by convention not considered within the province of biology; instead, they are the subject of anthropology and the various social sciences. The boundaries and subdivisions of biology, however, are as fluid today as they have always been, and further shifts may be expected.
    Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

    June 14, 2011

    History of Biology

    Biology is an old science from the point of view of its beginnings but young from the point of view of the continuous discoveries. The complexity of the alive matter make clear with the discovery of the electron microscope has left and the study of different weaves from the alive being.
    As science Biology appears in Greece, being Soft the first experimental fisiologo its study foundation basicamente in nerves and animal glasses, of equal way that the human anatomy with cadaveres of monkeys and pigs, did this thinking about a parallelism between these animals and the man, causing who appeared mistakes in their conclusions.
    In century XVI detailed studies of all the alive beings begin to be made. Vesalio study the structure and function of the organs of the animals specially in the man. It mentioned that the confidence in previous works had to be limited, being centered in the personal experiences.
    In century XVII the microscope is discovered and Biology undergoes an important advance. Malpighi and Leewemhoek study the structure of weaves, are observed the bacteria, protozoos and spermatozoa.
    In century XIX, the advance of other branches also causes another fort impulse for Biology, mainly at level of molecular Biology.
    From the etymology point of view Biology means study of the life, studying the forms that can adopt the alive beings, their structure, function, reproduction, growth, organization and relations with the means that surround them.
    They are disciplines of Biology: the botany, study of the plants; Taxonomy, the classification of the alive beings; Zoology, study of the animals; Anatomy, study of the structure of the alive beings; Physiology, study of the operation of the alive being; Embryology, study of the development of the embryo; Genetics, Ecology, Evolución... relations with the means that surround them.

    Filipino Scientists and their Contributions

    Eduardo San Juan - astronomy - helped invent the Lunar Rover 

    Charle Mar Abelo - zoologist - study about animals 

    Jezrel Canlas - botany - study about plants 

    Jose Cruz- electrical engineering 

    Emerito de Guzman -work on the growth and development in vitro of the makapuno coconut embryo 

    Caferiono Follosco - Electrical and Agricultural Engineering. 

    Francisco Fronda H - development of poultry industry not only in the Philippines but in the Asia region too. 

    Angel L. Lazaro III -Civil Engineer and Environmental Planner 

    Dr. Salcedo biochemistry, nutrition, physiology. 

    Gregario Velasquez -pioneered Philippine phycology and made the first intensive study of Myxophyceae or bluegreen algae 

    Teodula MTopacio Jr -leptospiral disease of domistecated animals 

    Joventino Soriano - plant cytogenetics and mutations 

    Angel Alcala is behind the invention of artifical coral reefs used for fisheries in Southeast Asia. 

    Arturo Alcaraz is a volcanologist specializing in geothermal energy development. 

    Benjamin Almeda designed a food-processing machine. 

    Julian Banzon researched methods of producing alternative fuels. 

    Ramon Barba invented practical flower induction treatments. 

    Doctor Benjamin Cabrera has developed innovations in drug treatments against diseases caused by mosquitoes and agricultural soil. 

    Paulo Campos built the first radioisotope laboratory in the Philippines. 

    Magdalena Cantoria is a noted Filipino botanist. 

    Josefino Comiso Filipino Physicist has been warning the world about global warming. 

    Doctor Lourdes Cruz has made scientific contributions to the biochemistry field of conotoxins. 

    Rolando De La Cruz Filipino scientist invented an anti cancer skin cream. 

    Emerita De Guzman researched the propagation of pure makapuno trees. 

    Doctor Fe Del Mundo is credited with studies leading to the invention of an improved incubator and a jaundice relieving device. 

    Anacleto Del Rosario Filipino chemist won the first prize at the World Fair in Paris in 1881 

    Ernesto Del Rosario is Filipino chemist best known for his achievements in biotechnology and applied physical chemistry. 

    Roberto Del Rosario is the inventor of the Karaoke Sing Along System. 

    Daniel Dingel claims to have invented a water-powered car. 

    Pedro Escuro is best known for his isolation of nine rice varieties. 

    Agapito Flores has been acclaimed by some as being the inventor of the first fluorescent lamp 

    Pedro Flores was the first person to manufactured the yo-yo in the United States. 

    Francisco Fronda is known as the Father of poultry science in the Philippines. 

    Carmen Intengan - Food and nutrition researcher a pioneer that helped improve the Filipino diet. 

    Amando Kapauan was a Filipino chemist who specialized in environmental chemistry. 

    Hilario Lara helped establish the National Research Council of the Philippines. 

    Felix Maramba built a coconut oil-fueled power generator. 

    Luz Oliveros Belardo researched the phytochemical properties of plants in the Philippines for natural products 

    Maria Orosa - Pioneering food inventor invented Calamansi Nip and Soyalac. 

    William Padolina has served as the Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology for the Philippines. 

    Eduardo Quisumbing was a noted expert in the medicinal plants of the Philippines. 

    Francisco Quisumbing invented Quink ink. 

    Dolores Ramirez promoted the development of genetics in the Philippines. 

    Jose Rodriguez is a noted Filipino scientist and researcher who has invented methods of controlling leprosy. 

    Eduardo San Juan worked on the team that invented the Lunar Rover or Moon Buggy. 

    Alfredo Santos is a noted researcher in the chemistry of natural products. 

    Francisco Santos studied the nutritional problems associated with the Filipino diet. 

    Carmen Velasquez was a noted Filipino biologist. 

    Gregorio Zara - discovered the physical law of electrical kinetic resistance called the Zara effect 

    Prescillano Zamora - is best known for his research in plant anatomy-morphology including the taxonomy of Philippine ferns and the discovery of more fern species.