Introduction to botany

Taxonomy and Linnaean classification The taxonomical classification of grasses is shown below;Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to botany specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Kingdom; – Plantae Phylum; – Magnoliophyta (angiosperms/ flowering plants) Class; – Liliopsida (monocotyledonous plants) Order; – Poales (Graminoid order) Family; – Poaceae (grass family) Genus; – PoaAdvertising Looking for essay on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Species; – Various species Introduction, Physical Description and Geographical Range Grasses can be described as herbivorous plants which have narrow leaves growing from the plant base. They are dominant vegetation in many places such as forests, grasslands and in swampy regions. Grasses are found in almost every terrestrial habitant and some have been modified to suit mans needs. The grass species exceed 9000 making them one of the largest biological families in the world. Plant description The grass plant is comprised of tillers/ shoots that grow from the bud at the plant base. The tiller is comprised of leaf, stem node and the stem internodes. These units regularly repeat themselves. The leaves are attached to the stem at the internodes. The stems are hollow and are refereed to as culms. The leaves grow at one plane (distichous) and are parallel veined. The leaves have two parts; the lower sheath where it hug on the stem and a blade which has sharp edges to prevent grazing. The flowers are usually arranged as spikelets. These spikelets have one or more florets. At the early growth stages of the plant, the nodes distance (internodes) is very small and the stem remains at the base of the plant. As the development progresses, the tiller stops to produce leaves and forms an immature seed head. When this happens, the tiller no longer grows and clipping it off or grazing does not affect the leaf growth of the grass. At this stage, the upper internodes elongate, new tillers emerge while the seed head increases in length. Figure 1: the different parts of a grass plant [source: Banhart, 1 ] Reproductive Habits and Life Cycle There are three main development stages of grasses, these are;Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Introduction to botany specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Vegetative growth Leaves: At an early stage, the leaves form at the stem near the ground. The leaves develop chlorophyll and photosynthesis occurs fast so that they capture solar energy to enable the formation of carbohydrates. The excess carbohydrates are stored in the roots and the plant crown. Normally, the leaves produced during spring die and the carbohydrates stored at the crown help in new leaf development during summer (Chapman 73). Roots: The primary root developments occu r during the initial growth stages and it feeds the initial leaves. These roots last for a few weeks and die. Secondary roots develop at the same time with tillers. This growth is supported by the carbohydrates produced by the leaves. The secondary root lasts for one year and aid in anchoring the plant. Other types of root that develop are the hair roots that aid in food absorption. Leguminous grasses produce an extensive root system beneath the soil comprised of stolons and rhizomes. Elongation At the elongation stage, the stem of the grass lengthens, at this stage only the upper internodes increase in length. Reproductive Growth At the reproductive stage, the seed head develops. This occurs after one year of vegetative growth and is controlled by the plant hormones that stimulate the reproductive meristems to start growing. During this stage, the reproductive parts elongate and form the crown. The crown produces flowers through which pollination occurs and seeds are formed (Barnha rt 3). Ecology The grasses occupy the grassland biomes. They cover about 31% of the total earth planet. There are situated at the lowest level of the food chain as they form the food for many grazing animals such as cattle, goats, elephants, deer’s among others. Grasses are effective colonizers of any cleared land as compared to trees because they don’t have woody stems that are trampled by animals. Plants have adaptations that prevent excessive grazing, their leaves have very sharp edges that cut the grazers and these prevent grazing. Some gases have hardened leaves. However, Grazing at the later stages of grass development removes the old unwanted stems and it is useful in the re-growth of the grass (Cheplick 125). Human Impacts, Importance and Management Grasses have numerous economic importances both to humans and animals. They are foods to herbivores that are later eaten by the carnivores and hence together with other plants, they sustain the entire food chain. Th ey also form food for domestic grazing animals such as cattle, goats and sheep which become human foods. Grasses are also extensively used by humans for beautification, in lawns and in modern football, cricket and golf fields.Advertising Looking for essay on biology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Grasses also affect agriculture, farmers must clear grasses during weeding and this increases their farming costs. Human beings have great impacts on the grasses. Gradual encroachment of the grassland has reduced its cover. Practices such as; burning grass, unmanaged grazing, clearing land for agriculture, using land for building and construction have impacted negatively on this species. With the continuous changes in climate and changes in weather patterns, it is expected that the grass population will continue to reduce. Unexpected weather conditions such as long dry seasons and short rain result to the grasses dying up. Works Cited Barnhart, Stephen. How pasture plants grow. PDF file. 22 April. 2012. http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1791.pdf Chapman, Geoffrey. The Biology of Grasses, 1st ed, Wallingford, Oxfordshire: CABI publishers,1996. Print Cheplick, G. Population Biology of Grasses, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998.Print. This essay on Introduction to botany was written and submitted by user Grievous to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Artists in Exile How Refugees from Twentieth

Artists in Exile How Refugees from Twentieth In this book, Horowitz talks about a range of artists who moved to America in the middle of the twentieth century, how they adapted to their new environment and also their influence on the performing arts. These artists migrated as a result of war, mainly the Second World War and other political reasons. The author writes about artists involved in music, stage plays and motion picture.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Artists in Exile: How Refugees from Twentieth-Century War and Revolution Transformed the American Performing Arts, By Joseph Horowitz specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Many critics find the book well-written since it incorporates debates and words are delivered in a rhetorical or impassionate way but at the same time maintaining a poetic tenor. Knowledge of the type of music in that era is will help in the understanding of the book especially the German way of expressing inner motion. The author has done extensive research and held interviews before writing this book as shown by the footnotes, although you can not fail to notice that the author can relate to the events he describes; it has a personal touch. Before these artists came, a form of entertainment which combined musical and comedy acts called vaudeville was very common. It was so common such that it eventually influenced the radio, motion picture production and the television. It happened that the theatre production in Europe was more sophisticated than in America. After a while the European style was introduced by some of the immigrants discussed in this book. Most of these foreign artists especially from Russia like George Balanchine came from poor conditions to America to achieve ‘The American Dream’. Not every one of them was able to achieve the dream for various reasons. For example, after living in America for 14 years, Thomas Mann returned back to Europe during the cold war after he felt that he would never feel at home in America. When these foreign artists came to America, they had to write and perform in English rather than their language. Despite of this, some did manage to make an impact on the art industry. George Balanchine was born in Russia back in 1904 and he is responsible for revolutionising ballet dancing in America. He was well acquainted with the Russian traditional form of dancing style. He fused the Russian style an American dancing style to come up with the now known ballet dancing. Before moving to America he was a ballet master in a company which he had been invited to join by another Russian exile; Diaghilev. In Paris he worked closely with Stravinsky, and they were able to create a whole new form of art by combining the traditional ballet with a touch of Greek methodology.Advertising Looking for report on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More When he moved to America, he opened a ba llet school in New York City where he was able to produce around four hundred pieces of work. What made him such a revolutionary choreographer was that he was able to come up with exceptional styles which had such an amazing speed and assail. Kurt Weill was a German born composer who believed in writing music that not only entertained, but had a social function. He fell out of favour with the Nazi’s and was often disapproved and his shows were regularly cancelled. He was forced to move to Paris then London and finally to America. His style did not receive much appreciation as it did in Europe. He had to study the American music style before composing pieces for the American audience. He went on to compose several pieces like ‘Down in the Valley’ and ‘Buddy on the Nightshift’ all of which had social importance. His mark on the American music was felt after he died. Louis Armstrong adopted Weill’s â€Å"Mack the Knife† as the basis of his jazz flavour. His music has been re-done by some of the present artists like The Doors and Lou Reed. Other artists like Teresa Stratas have made an entire music album based on Weill’s work. One of the greatest pianist; Amanda, has Weill’s name on her piano as a mark of respect to him. In 1991, 2008 and in 2009 various musical functions have been held, all to pay tribute to Kurt Weill. Rouben Mamoulian was born in Georgia and he became a movie and drama director in America. He directed â€Å"Applause† which was a popular film back in 1929. Its popularity was attributed to the fact that Mamoulian used a camera in motion and added music to some scenes. Mamoulian style involved making his scenes more prosaic than just plain realism. This is evident in the â€Å"Becky Sharp† and in the entire piece of â€Å"Blood and Sand†. The use of Technicolor in these films demonstrated this poetic style of Mamoulian. Mamoulian did not have much influence in the fi lm industry as much as F.W Murnau. Murnau was a very prominent German film director; he had major influence in the German film industry after the end of World War 1. In his film â€Å"The Last Laugh† he introduced a camera view which showed what the character was seeing. He used this to try to convey visually the character’s feelings and his state of mind. When he moved to Hollywood, he produced the movie â€Å"Sunrise† under Fox Theatres. Up to date, this film is regarded as one of all time best by many of the elite. Although it did not bring much financial profit, it went on to win a couple of Oscars. He went on to produce two movies which did not fair well with the American audience; he was so disappointed in his failure that he quit Fox.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Artists in Exile: How Refugees from Twentieth-Century War and Revolution Transformed the American Performing Arts, By Joseph Horowitz specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He later produced another movie which was suppressed in America since it had scenes of women revealing their breasts. Murnau was very committed in his work such that he went to great lengths to make his films as real as possible. At one time he sought the services of a true vampire to play as himself in the film â€Å"Shadow of the Vampire.† Perhaps Greta Garbo is the best and most mysterious movie star to ever work in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during the silent and talking period. She was born in Sweden and at twenty years, she went to Hollywood where she became such a sensational actress in the silent movies. MGM was a bit reluctant to feature her in talking films because of her Swedish accent, but after much persuasion she debuted in her first talking film â€Å"Anna Christie† in 1930. The movie was a success and got an Oscar nomination for that movie. She also made a German version of the film. After a couple of other movies sh e ended her career early because she did not like the Hollywood attention. Erich Korngold was born in now what is called the Czech Republic, and he became a music composer, particularly romantic music. At younger age, his work received a fair amount of success in Europe. During his time in America, his work was not appreciated by the Americans; it only attracted a lot of negative criticism. It’s only after his death that his work was re-evaluated by artists like Max Steiner and found that he was a musical genius after all. Now days, he is considered as one of the pioneers of musical film. Over the years his pieces of music have been redone as a way of paying tribute to him. What is common with almost all the European immigrant artists is that they had to do their arts in a language that was not their first. All of them were excellent performers in their home countries, but when they came to America they had to change their style to be more acceptable by the American audience. Other than the war, freedom that was enjoyed much in America made them migrate. What they did not realize is that this freedom did not necessarily elevate their ambitions and goals.

San Francisco Symphony Case Analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

San Francisco Symphony Analysis - Case Study Example The industry is characterized by declining subscriber base for concerts, which since and this forms the core product of artistic performance. Symphonies are experiencing challenges in attracting younger generation and growing their subscriptions due to changes in lifestyles and desires (Schmitt, p 5). Another trend in the industry is the increasing musician costs that have led to operating deficits for 9 out of 10 of the orchestras in the US. Musician’s salaries form 50 percent of the operating costs and have increased substantially due to the need to retain talent and meet trade union demands (Schmitt, p 5). The industry is characterized by poor working relationships among musician unions, boards of directors and management staff. and tThis trend has led to musician strikes (Schmitt, p 5). For instance, the Detroit Symphony experienced a 6 -month strike in 2011. The while Chicago Symphony Orchestra experienced a 48- hour strike that culminated to higherin an increase of musician salaries without additional responsibilities like community outreach. SFS experienced a 2two-week strike in March 2013 thus leading to cancelation of the East Coast tour and performance at New York’s Carnegie Hall (Schmitt, p 6). 2.1Corporate strategy The corporate strategy of SFS is aimed at ensuring the highest possible standard of excellence in music performance across the globve. The company has a range of musical styles and innovative approach to music presentation (Schmitt, p 12). It is imperative for the SFS to appeal to a younger generation through outreach programs.

Employment and Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Employment and Society - Essay Example Unhappy employees can never leave the management on with a positive edge for a burned out workforce usually results to reduce quality in productivity. It is a common scenario occurring to companies of any size both in developed and under-developed countries as one of many dreadful consequences of the 2007-2009 economic recession (Rooney, 2011, par.7-12). Economic experts explain that this issue at hand is a turnout of not only the macroeconomic events of the earlier years posting threat to termination of employment contract but also of the eradicating system of psychological contract in the workplace (Furness, 2008, par.4). Dr. Judith Barwick supported this notion by stating that the problem is not primarily economic recession but rather psychological recession which is an â€Å"emotional state in which people feel extremely vulnerable and afraid for their futures† (cited in Furness, 2008, par.8). Gone were the days when employees jump ships in their venture of their career development for the security of tenure gains higher relevance in this tough time of the economy. Innovation has been the key for companies to remain competitive in the ever evolving trends in the market to meet the demands of the consumers. Through years global competitiveness raised its bar challenging the companies to do better through increased productivity and specializing the skills of their employees. Yet the recent recession confined them to minimized production cost thus creating imbalance and difficulty on the part of the employee’s benefits and compensation. As quoted by Morrison (2012, p.1), leaders need to understand people to effect the needed changes but unfortunately, not all managers are capable of understanding their people. The traditional training for managers has been technical and non-personal in belief that it is necessary in order to

Impact of Crystal Meth Addiction

Impact of Crystal Meth Addiction By the time you are in elementary you already have some knowledge on drugs. They affect us in various ways, sometimes even personally. For Luke it became a personal issue. At first he began living in the house of a crystal meth addict to research the drug and experience first-hand how it affected others. Originally he had no intention of taking the drug, but after some time he fell into temptation. Since the house he was living in was full of crystal meth and crystal meth addicts it’s not surprising that this ending up happening. At first he would only use it occasionally/recreationally. He felt that he could accomplish more while using it and that non-user were weird for not using it. According to him it was cheap, it helped him lose weight, and it was really fun. â€Å"I felt creative, confident and productive.† (Luke Williams) But after sometime this recreational drug became something he could not live without. Luke then became an addict and began to experience psychotic episodes and aggression. Because of crystal meth he felt that everyone was out to get him and wanted to kill him. This is when he realized that he needed to stop. He went to a hospital, but they offered him pretty much no help and were very unsympathetic. The place where he used to live kicked him out and finding a place to stay became a difficult task. He lived with other crystal meth addicts but they began to flip out on him, leaving him with no choice, but to return home. His parents were very kind and took him in and helped him with his addiction. Learning to cope with the after effects of crystal meth was hard, but with the help of his parents he is now living a normal healthy lifestyle. Although he no longer has that many friends he feels better, because now he doesn’t have bad influences around him. He realizes how dumb he wa s for taking crystal meth and encourages others to never try it (Williams). But where did this drug that destroys so many homes and lives come from? This drug is a man-made stimulant that has been around for a long time. Crystal meth was originally made by the government during World War II to help soldiers stay awake. But after realizing the after affects it had on the soldiers the government decided to ban it. Most of the crystal meth in the United States comes from Mexican super labs. Although people still make it here in the U.S. it’s usually inside their homes. It’s very dangerous to make because of the chemicals involved which are very explosive. Crystal meth comes in clear chunky crystals resembling ice and is most commonly smoked. You can identify Crystal Meth addicts by certain characteristics/behaviors that they exhibit. One of the first things that you will start to notice is that they do not care about their personal appearance or hygiene. They continually pick at their hair and skin which causing themselves nasty looking sores. And they get pimples that are hard to get rid of. They are also more likely to steal to pay for their addiction. Angry outbursts and mood swings are very common in crystal meth addicts. Other affects it has on the body is raising the body temperature to an abnormal level, so high that the user could pass out or even die. They lose appetite and weight dramatically. Dilated pupils, rapid eye movement, anxiousness, confusion, insomnia, unsafe sex, violent outbursts, and twitching are some of the after effects of crystal meth. Users can become paranoid and hear and see things that aren’t actually there (hallucinations). (Ratini) But why do people take this drug? What makes it so addictive? The powerful rush people get from using crystal meth makes a lot of people get hooked right from the start. When its used, a chemical called dopamine (chemical in the brain that floods parts of it that regulate feelings of pleasure). Users also feel confident and energetic. A user can become addicted quickly and soon finds he will do anything to have the rush again. As he continues to use the drug, he builds up a tolerance. That means he needs higher doses to get the same high. The higher the dosage of crystal meth, the higher the risks. How do you get clean from such a powerful drug? How do you liberate yourself from its iron grasp? Since most people who try crystal meth are immediately addicted to it, it’s very hard to get clean from it. Actually it’s one of the hardest drug addictions to beat. People who are addicted to crystal meth usually cannot beat the addiction on their own and require professional help. They either need a professional counselor or drug treatment program. For the first few weeks their bodies will go into withdrawal and they will only be able to eat and sleep because their mind and body are too tired to do anything else. They will feel anti-social and may have violent outbursts. During the whole withdrawal your body is screaming for meth. This is the hardest part of getting clean. Then they go through a honeymoon phase where they feel super confident. Most people have a relapse during this moment because of how over confident they are. Then comes more depression and boredom after this. Finally they move into the adjustment phase where they begin to adjust to society and life in general. Staying clean is a daily choice so it’s an ongoing recovery. But how does this drug affect your spiritual life? Can you still have a close relationship with God while doing Crystal Meth? No, you can’t†¦ Of course the Bible never directly talks about drugs but that’s because they were not around during those days. But it does talk about addictions. All of the apostolic exhortations to remain sober-minded and alert are designed to remind us that we must be vigilant against the snares of the Devil who seeks to ensnare us through deception. (1 Peter 5:8) (1 Corinthians 15:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8) All of these texts talk about being sober and how can you do that if you’re so high you don’t even know your name? Sobriety is also important for prayer (1 Peter 4:7). As Christians, our bodies are not our own, we have been bought with a price which is the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:17-19) (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Having bought us with His own life if we pollute or harm our bodies w e desecrate the House of God (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). So I guess all this answers the question if you can or can’t be high and still consider yourself a devoted Christian. In the beginning I mentioned that Luke began to use the drug because he was naà ¯ve of its effects on the human body and what crystal meth actually was. After reading all of this information I feel like he would think twice before trying the drug. People don’t usually think about the effects drugs have on your body and never stop to consider the after effects. But if it is all written out for you and personal testimonies are added then it’s a lot easier to stop and be informed about the drug. This type of information would have saved Luke from a lot of pain, hardship, and danger. And all though he wasn’t a Christian, the texts from the Bible can be very helpful to Christian youth who are experimenting with different things. Many people are ignorant and think that just trying a drug once will not affect them later on and that they are just going to do it once recreationally. Unfortunately this is not the case 99% of the time. Because crystal meth is so strong peo ple get addicted to it the first time they try it and it is really hard to stop the addiction that is why Luke had such a hard time. To prevent things like this from happening we need to speak out against drug abuse and inform people on what Crystal meth and drugs in general do to your body. We need to let them know that they take control of your life and leave you worse than you ever were before. And battling drug addiction is a lifelong thing because your body will always crave the drug. Crystal meth ruins hundreds of lives, families, relationships, and homes each year that is why we must speak out against it now. Luke didn’t have people in his life to inform him, but think about the people you know that are messing around with drugs; have you taken the time to inform them? Don’t let them go through all the things Luke went through. Works Cited Petit, Aymeric. J Addict Res. Methamphetamine Addiction: A Review of the Literature (2012): http://omicsonline.org/methamphetamine-addiction-a-review-of-the-literature-2155-6105.S1-006.php?aid=3893. Ratini, Melinda. crystal meth what should you know. 16 september 2014. 6 may 2015. . Williams, Luke. life as a chrystal meth addict. The saturday Paper 2 8 2014: 2.

Suffer The Little Children - S :: essays research papers

In this paper, Im going to take a formalist approach to look at language, tone and structure of Suffer the Little Children by Stephen King. This story is not just about a particular teacher or a particular student; it is more about a disturbed ladys state of mind, and my work will give emphasis to the characterization the author uses through the text. The first thing I would like to talk about is Kings use of language in this story. He begins by describing Miss Sidley as a small, constantly suffering, gimlet-eyed woman. He also mentioned that she knows she is getting old, and the word Miss before her name allowed us to know that she is not married. She is an unhappy woman. We can gather what kind of person she is from her reference to the children as monsters, bitches, evils, who have nasty little games. The diction of the story emphasizes wickedness. King uses metaphors, and almost every one of them suggests a likeness with something evil, taking for example the giggling, like the laughter of demons...or they were ringed in a tight little circle, like mourners around an open grave. Irony also exists in this story. Sidley seems to be the ideal teacher, who is efficient at her job and knows how to keep her students quite in class, when actually she is the one who has a disturbing behavior and ends up surprising her colleague in sch ool when she is found about to kill one more child. King also used an interesting style to introduce a new character to the story: Buddy Jenkins was his name, psychiatry was his game. As soon as we read it, we immeadiately know he will have a destiny such as Sidleys because that was exactly the way she was introduced (Miss Sidley was her name, teaching was her game). The writer also uses italic writing to emphasize the teachers toughts. However, the presence of one or two loose words in the middle of sentences will contribute to cause an eye effect, to catch the readers attention to those words, such as admit, change and she. King gave this story a dark tone about which theres nothing cheerful. No colors. Anyone who reads the story will be able to see an obscure atmosphere. I would like to mention that the author uses expressions such as unrestful night and solitary dinner througout the text, and the word darkness appears many times.

Technology vs. Values & Environment

Technology is what governs the aspect of being judged as a developed nation or country. To determine the effect that technology has on the true evolution of a society needs to be considered from two angles. First and foremost technological innovation is what brings about progress. Technological advancements take place when a society needs to make their living more comfortable and safe. This brings up the other point handling technology, the second aspect. Mans needs and wants are rarely distinguishable. It happens quite often that man cannot outline his basic needs and requirements due to which the technology developed are not in sync with their values and cultures. Technological advancements affect all three spheres of a society- social, political & economical. Therefore over-indulgence in technological progress will indeed lead to the neglect of social, economic and political values. Excess of everything is bad. To begin with technological progress is extremely costly and requires a very large investment. Large investments in this field would require the fiscal resources allotted to education and removal of poverty in developing nations especially to be decreased. An example of this scenario is the Indian National Congress. The INC made the nuclear deal with the USA. Despite the help being provided by the USA, India will still have to make large investments in setting up large nuclear plants & equipment. Such investments will be made in the light, that even today majority of the population is illiterate and lives below the poverty line. Apart from people, persistent technological development poses a grave threat to environment. The present situation of global warming is completely attributed to mindless technological development. The extensive power consumption by factories in the USA is a matter of great contention in the United Nations, as it is a major contributor to global warming. Technology empowers us, true. But with great power, comes great responsibility!