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How do Gills Work?

By admin / October 1, 2017

Introduction

We often take our biological functions for granted without asking how or why they happen. Have you ever wondered, for example, why do we blink? Do you know why you feel a deep, intense pressure in your insides whenever you really get stressed over something? Usually, we have a vague explanation for how our body works and we leave it that.

Things get REALLY obscure however, when it comes to our knowledge of animals that are fundamentally different from us. The mechanics of underwater breathing are a complete mystery for the vast majority of people. How do fish breathe? What exactly are gills? Do all sea creatures have them? How do gills work? This article will give you all the answers to these questions and more.

What exactly are Gills?

Like all living animals, fish require oxygen in order to survive. The difference between them and surface animals is that they have developed gills instead of lungs to breathe underwater. This is due to how aquatic respiration requires a gas exchange in order to function properly, that effectively enables fish to remove dissolved oxygen from water and utilize it to survive.

Each gill is supported by an arch – a bony structure oriented vertically on the side of a fish, behind its head. These archs support a number of comb-like filaments, that extend out horizontally, and increase their surface area for oxygen exchange. For each gill filament, there is a number of branches called primary lamellae, which in turn branch out to secondary lamellae.

It is these secondary lamellae that absorb the oxygen from the water and transport it inside a fish's body. A gill, therefore, is an adapted organ that allows fish to extract the oxygen out of of the water they are swimming in.

You will be surprised to learn that not all creatures that live in the seas have gills – as not all aquatic creatures are fish. As common as gills are in fishes and many other amphibious species, there's quite a number of species that lack them – for example, whales, dolphins and porpoises.

How Do Gills Work?

The exact mechanism of fish gills is quite complex and seems to vary slightly among different fish species. Generally, it works as follows: The fish lowers the floor of its mouth, widening the outer skin flap that protects the gills in order to inrease the water rushing in. When the fish raises the floor of its mouth back up, a valve of sorts is formed to keep the water from rushing out. The water is then transfered to the gills.

Then, the secondary lamellae of the gills extract the oxygen from the water while simultaneously releasing carbon dioxide out. The extracted oxygen then gets absorbed into the the fish's blood, which in turn gets pumped around the body by its heart.

The whole process is facilitated due to how the secondary lamellae of fish gills have really thin walls that allow gas to be more easily absorbed into the blood stream. If these walls were any thicker, it would had been nigh impossible for fish to efficiently absorb oxygen from water.

This is due to the much lower concetrations of dissolved oxygen inside water compared to those available in air. To put this into perspective, whereas ar is approximately 21% oxygen, or 210.000 parts per million, water only has 4 to 8 parts per million of dissolved oxygen available for the gills to extract. Naturally, underwater respiration has to be much, much more efficient in its oxygen absoprtion than the respective surface respiration process of lungs.

Do all Sea Creatures have Gills?

For the vast majority of fishes, survival without water is impossible: They can only stay alive for a few short minutes before dying due to lack of oxygen. On the flip side, however, aquatic mammals like whales, even though they spend most of their life underwater, are completely unable to breathe underwater and have to come to the surface in order to breathe.

This is because like all mammals, they have lungs and nostrils. They actually inhale air through a blowhole they have. Do you remember the iconic water spout they produce? That is basically the equivalent of a whale exhaling.

A word on gills and lungs evolution

Since fish first appear in the fossil record earlier than tetrapods, it is logical to assume that modern fishes bear the exact traits that our common anscestors did. According to the available evidence, gills were indeed present in the very earliest of fishes. However, lungs also seem to have evolved very early on. So what happened?

Research findings suggest that modern tetrapods used to have gills but lost them during the course of early evolution. In reverse, in many fish species, lungs evolved into the swimbladder – a gas filled organ that helps a fish control its buoyancy. Even more surprising, there exist some fish today that maintain their lungs – for example, the aptly called "Lungfish".

Conclusion

So, to recap, fish, much like humans, do require oxygen in order to survive. Thanks to their aquatic respiration system, they are capable of extracting all the oxygen they need from water – and are incapable of doing so outside of it, the way we do. Central to their breathing system are their gills – the fishy equivalent of our lungs.

Fish basically gulp in oxygenated water, forcing it through their gills and extracting all the available oxygen they can, before releasing the water and carbon dioxide back into the sea. Their heart then pumps the freshly oxygenated blood throughout their whole body.

What is amazing about the gill based respiration system is how massively more efficient than our own it is. Extracting the oxygen out of the water is thousands of times harder than extracting it from air, as the available oxygen is spread in much lesser quantities.

Next time your favorite pet fish drifts around your aquarium, gulping water in an out, you will now know exactly what it is that it's doing: Putting its gills to good use.

PPS Or PSS?

Tech

By admin / September 26, 2017

Introduction

Who would have thought that not paying attentiong to Latin classes would come back to bite us with a vengeance? I certainly did not. Apparently, learning a classical, centuries old language has its benefits – even in 2017. Modern English, the most widely used language in business, education, information spreading and everyday communication in the planet actually borrows quite the number of words from other languages. A good example is the field of medicine: Words like cardiology, orthopedics or even the word medicine itself have their origins in Greek.

The situation gets problematic when we are not aware of what a word really means and instead, use it habitually, without second thinking its meaning. We are then prone to make mistakes that sound and look, at the very least, silly and at worst painful to those who do know what the word, abbreviation or acronym in question mean. Oh, and by the way. The word acronym? That is borrowed too.

Remember PS?

Hopefully, we all remember the PS term. It is what you add at the end of your letter or message, when you want to add an afterthought that occured after you finished writing the scripts main body – you see, few years ago, people were unable to press backspace on their keyboard or phone and rewrite their message. Back then, the saying "scripta manent" – written words remain – was actually quite real.

By instict and habit, we do know how to use PS. But do we really know what it means? The abbreviation comes from the latin "postscriptum", which means "written after", or, alternatively, "that which comes after the writing". It is a generally accepted way to add clarifications, further information and extra points to your message. That being said, there are some people who think that it is not appropriate when it comes to online communication, as an online message can be corrected and re-written rather easily before being sent. Thus, as a general rule of thumb, I suggest you lean on the side of caution and avoid adding PS when you can in your emails and your other online communication channels.

What Comes After PS?

So, let us assume that you have written your message carefully, formulated your arguments and made your points. After you were done, you reviewed your message and thought you should add something extra, appropriately using the "PS" term at the bottom of your message. But what if you want to add more? There are many ways to go about this, but nearly all of them are wrong.

You could write PS 2 and PS 3 as necessary, but that would hardly look professional and in all likelihood, it would dissuade your target from whatever it is you wanted to convince them to do.

You could add PSS right below your PS, as many people do, but honestly, not only does this look unprofessional, it also looks silly. Like we said, PS means "postscriptum". Post script. Which would effectively make PSS mean "Post script script". I do not know about you, but this looks VERY silly to me and I would be massively dissapointed of the person who send me such a message.

The only correct and logical way to add a second afterthought to your message is by using the abbreviation PPS – in other words, by saying "post post script", or, that which comes after the post script.

Do not overdo it

Like we mentioned earlier, there are some people who do not condone the usage of PS or PPS at the end of your messages, as it is quite easy to rework your initial message and implement your afterthoughts to the main text these days. Thus, you should only use these terms when you really have to – sparingly, if at all.

Even in cases where you deem their usage appropriate, try not to go beyond PPS. Typing PPPS or PPPPS marks your text as hastily written, your thoughts as unorganized and your character as lazy. To avoid all that, you should probably just try to insert your afterthoughts to your main message.

Modern usage of PS and PPS

So, we have established why you should generally try to avoid the aforementioned abbreviations nowadays. But when is their usage apt or even recommended? We can identify two cases.

Innocent Addition: Quite different than actually adding extra arguments or points to your main text, by implying a bit of innocence or even forgetfulness you are probably going to get a pass from your recipients. For example, say you were going to message some relatives about something. Adding a post script message at the end of your main text and saying how you would of course enjoy to have them come over for dinner next Sunday is not only appropriate, but also kind. Or, alternatively, to wish them well on an ongoing situation they have running. Generally, it should be positive or kind, and incapable of fitting on your main text.

Marketing: Marketeers often use post scripts – or even post post scripts – to make sly references and draw your attention to where they want, usually a new service or product, or, alternatively, the benefits of such services and products. For example, you might receive an email newsletter of a business you have subscribed to only to find that at the end of their text, the author has written something along the lines of: "PS I am thinking of making a new, unique special service for my most loyal fans. If you are interested, make sure you follow this [example hyperlink] to keep track of any updates." The main reason why this works is that, segmented text – and PS is by definition separated from the main text – is easier to read.

Humour: Sometimes you just want to add flair to your message. By intentionally adding sequences of PS and PPS, you can add a little bit of a humorous touch to your text – assuming you know what you are doing. Just make sure you do this only in informal conversations, as your boss is probably not going to like it.

Why Do Men Have Adam’s Apple?

Health

By admin / September 24, 2017

Introduction

Who is Adam? And what is the deal with his apple? And perhaps most importantly, how do they relate with the lump we often see in a human's throat, that protruding chunk of bony cartilage in our necks? This article will give you the answers to these questions and more. We will discover the origins of the term, thoroughly explain what exactly it is, and explain why men seem to have their Adam's Apple stick out more than women.

Myth - Terminology Origins

If we trace back the origins of the term "Adam's Apple" we will come up with a centuries old event chronicled in the Bible. Supposedly, the legendary first humans, Adam and Eve were blissfully living in the Garden of Eden. They were allowed to eat whichever fruit they fancied, except the apples from the Tree of Good and Evil. One day, Lucifer, disguised as a Serpent approached Eve and convinced her to the eat the fruit from the forbidden tree.

After she did, she gave the fruit to Adam. Apparently, the apple got stuck in their throats – effectively making them unworthy of staying in the Garden of Eden. God banished them, and cursed them to have to work the ground of the area they lived in, in order to survive. All men, following that event, were forced to bear evidence of that unfortunate mistake. The evidence and proof is our Adam's Apple.

What Science Has to Say

As impressive as the aforementioned story sounds, science begs to differ. According to research, an Adam's Apple has nothing to do with a Biblical, Godly punishment – and everything to do with the angle of the thyroid cartilage in relation to the growing larynx of people. At birth, both sexes start with no noticeable protrusion in their neck. As children reach puberty, however, males tend to have a significantly increased lump in their necks – this is a direct result of the hormonal differences between the sexes, and particularly, the higher testosterone of men.

Moreover, another reason men have a more noticeable Adam's Apple is due to how their larynx, or "voice box" as it is often called, is generally bigger than a female's. The level of development of the Adam's Apple varies among different people, and the widening of that area in the larynx usually occurs suddenly and quickly when a people experience their first large growth spurts.

Purpose of Adam's Apple

The Adam's Apple, along with the thyroid cartilage that forms it, work to protect the walls and the frontal part of the larynx – as well as the vocal cords which are right behind it. It is also largely related to the deepening of the voice – generally, people with more pronounced Adam's apples have a deeper voice note.

Most importantly, however, it allows air to get through to the lungs and empowers us to talk. As this crucial function happens no matter how pronounced the Adam's Apple is, and is universal to both genders, we can conclude that whether the lump is really prominent or not, has no real health implications. As many men with really pronounced lumps get them surgical removed, without suffering from any adverse effects, perhaps the most important side effect of a large Adam's Apple is the funny looking bobbing around it does when you gulp or swallow.

Adam's Apple and Women

Like we mentioned, both sexes do have an Adam's Apple, even though it is usually much less noticeable in women due to hormonal differences, and a difference in larynx size. A third reason that the the lump is less pronounced in women, is how they usually have a higher body fat percentage than men, which results in a more streamlined neck look.

A woman's Adam's Apple pretty much performs the same function as it does to a man – toned down in accordance with it's prominence or lack thereof. Thus, women with no noticeable Adam's Apple have generally higher pitched voices than those who do have visible ones.

As for the women who do have pronounced Adam's Apples, they unfortunately have to deal with all kinds of self confidence issues, as a prominent neck lump is highly associated with masculinity and male features. Generally, this is an unfounded insecurity, as in the vast majority of cases, whether a woman has a prominent Adam's Apple or not, her voice is not going to sound like masculine like. It is more of a visual issue, which can be easily dismissed and dealt with if the woman in question works on cultivating a positive self image. In severe cases, counseling might be in order.

What to Do If You Have Large Adam's Apple

We have established that a more – or less – pronounced Adam's Apple has no health implications. If for any reason however, you would want to change it, you can always undergo a cosmetic surgery to lessen and reduce it. This type of surgery is called chondrolaryngoplasty and is highly effective, with few complications, if any, that are mostly transient. Like all cosmetic surgeries, however, an Adam's Apple surgery is very unlikely to be covered by insurance.

Generally, unless you really want to reduce your Adam's Apple protrusion for any reason – you want to undergo a sex reassignment surgery, for example – it is recommended that you first consult a therapist to help you deal with your condition. Likewise, before consulting a therapist, you might want to spend some time putting things in perspective, and decide whether a prominent Adam's Apple is really something you should worry or fuss about.

Conclusion

By now you should have a clear understanding of what an Adam's Apple is, what is the origin of the term, what function does it serve, and why it is more prominent in men than in women. Barring surgery, there is no way to lessen the severity by which your Apple protrudes from your neck. Whether you like your lump or not, its appearance has no health implications whatsoever. Thus, if you are not interested in surgery, you should learn to live with it, if not love it.

South Sudan Tribune News Today

Family

By admin / August 15, 2017

South Sudan, a nation that seceded and declared its independence from the country of Sudan in 2011, soon found itself thrust into a brutal civil war. The fighting began a mere 18 months after the formation of the nation, leading to insecurity within the populace that was soon punctuated by rampant famine, overcrowding, and outbreaks of serious medical conditions like measles and cholera. The Sudanese army warring with the Liberation army has also forced thousands from their homes, aggravating the issues present within the fledgling nation. Continue reading

Sunrider SunBreeze Essential Oil Review

Health

By admin / August 14, 2017

Are you suffering joint and muscle pains? Do you feel sore and tension aches throughout the day? Tell you what; we’ve got the solution for you. Try Sunrider SunBreeze Essential Oil for the long lasting, fast acting pain relief. The oil is a concoction that has been time tested by treating migraines and headaches.

It is a formulated natural blend of Chinese herbs that offer modern healing. SunBreeze restore and soothe the body for optimal health. For better results, you are encouraged to use other Sunrider products which promote regenerative health and overall wellbeing.

SunBreeze’s Main Ingredients

1. Mint Extracts

Mint has well documented medicinal properties. It has been used over thousands of years and has been known to have calming, refreshing and stimulating effects. It has also be known to have tension and pain relieving properties all over the body.

Among the chemical elements on the SunBreeze is the calcium which has an antagonistic effect with peppermint oil. This antagonism helps eliminate pain from all the affected areas.

Mint as a Cooling Agent

The mint in the Sunrider SunBreeze Oil has natural cooling elements which helps reduce fever. It has some refrigerating power which causes cold sensation on the affected areas.

Mint as an Anti-inflammation Properties

Mint stimulates flow of blood which helps get rid of the inflammation. It is also applied to reduce swelling, eliminate inflammation and relieve pain. As a pain reliever, mint is applied around the temples and forehead to release tension and cure mental stress and headaches. Excruciating migraine is best stopped using a concoction of the Sunbreeze oil and other Sunrider products.

2. Cassia Extracts

Cassia is another extract that you will find in the Sunbreeze oil. It is commonly referred to as the Chinese Cinnamon. Cassia is native to China and Burma, where it grows as an evergreen tree.

The Cassia Oil that is used in the Sunbreeze is derived from twigs, barks and leaves of the Cassia tree. Among the compounds that you will find in cassia oil are cinnamyle acetate, linalool, chavicol, and benzaldehyde. Cassia oil has been used since time immemorial by Chinese healers and herbalists as an anti-rheumatic as well as anti-arthritic agent. It helps improve the blood circulation, thus generating warmth to the joints and other parts of the body that are commonly affected by arthritis and rheumatism.

3. Eucalyptus Oil Extracts

The SunBreeze has the eucalyptus oil, one of the most useful and commonly available essential oils in the market. It is derived from the sweetly scented eucalyptus tree. It has a distinct woody-pine scent and is considered one of the best vasodilators. Vasodilation is the increase of blood flow in the body by relaxing the blood vessels. It allows more blood to flow around the body.

Eucalyptus oil has more than 100 chemical compounds. This means it has a large spectrum of compounds which contain many active agents compared to other refined oils.

Eucalyptus Oil as a Muscle Pain Reliever

The oil contain anti-inflammation and analgesic properties which are recommended for people suffering from nerve pains, lumbago, rheumatism, sprained tendons and ligaments, fibrosis and stiff muscles. The only thing the user of the eucalyptus oil need to do is buy the SunBreeze and apply generously on the skin showing the symptoms.

Eucalyptus Oil on Wounds

The antiseptic and germicidal properties in the eucalyptus essential oil have been historically used for treating wounds, sores, abrasions, cuts burns and ulcers. The oil can also be used to treat insect stings or bites. You can also use the oil on open cuts or irritated skin to protect it from microbial action and exposure.

Treating Mental Exhaustion

Just like mint eucalyptus oil stimulate a refreshing and cooling effect. When used on the forehead, the oil increases the mental activity and blood flow in the brain.


Measurements	External:10.8" x 9.9" x 4.9"Internal: 9.5" x 7.4" x 4.1". Weighs 2.45 lbs (empty)
Proof from elements	Watertight, crush resistant, IP 67, MIL SPEC 810-F
Guarantee	Foam, imported, automatic purge pressure system, made in the USA and a lifetime guarantee.


Measurements	Exterior Dimensions: 10.78" x 9.75" x 4.83" - Interior Dimensions: 9.50" x 7.35" x 4.10". Case weight: 2.65 lbs.
Proof from elements	Watertight, Airtight & Crush Resistant protection for your valuables
Guarantee	Customized internal space that fits snugly. It comes with lifetime guarantee and is a “Made in America”.
Shipping	You’ll get free shipping.


Resistance	Crush resistance & rustproof, UV resistance and chemical
Proof from elements	Protective casing, dustproof and watertight
Guarantee	Lifetime guarantee
Shipping	You’ll get free shipping.


Resistance	Foamed with automatic pressure purge system. For safety, the case comes with molded padlock hole that allows use of standard master lock
Proof from elements	Watertight and crush resistant
Guarantee	Lifetime guarantee. Made in USA
Measurements	External: 8.7" x 7.5" x 3.9"Internal: 7.6" x 5.18" x 3.2". Weighs 1.45 lbs. (empty)

Introduction

What exactly are Gills?

How Do Gills Work?

Do all Sea Creatures have Gills?

A word on gills and lungs evolution

Conclusion

Introduction

Remember PS?

What Comes After PS?

Do not overdo it

Modern usage of PS and PPS

Introduction

Myth - Terminology Origins

What Science Has to Say

Purpose of Adam's Apple

Adam's Apple and Women

What to Do If You Have Large Adam's Apple

Conclusion

SunBreeze’s Main Ingredients

1. Mint Extracts

Mint as a Cooling Agent

Mint as an Anti-inflammation Properties

2. Cassia Extracts

3. Eucalyptus Oil Extracts

Eucalyptus Oil as a Muscle Pain Reliever

Eucalyptus Oil on Wounds

Treating Mental Exhaustion

Uses of the SunBreeze

How to Use the Sunbreeze

Pros of Sunrider SunBreeze

Cons

Available Options of SunBreeze

Specifications

Specifications:

Specifications

Bamboo Toothbrush History

Why use bamboo

Our Ratings:

Cost: $$

Our Ratings:

Cost: $$

Our Ratings:

Cost: $$$

Our Ratings

Cost: $

Our Ratings:

Cost: $

Final Remarks

African Elephant

The meaning of the bracelet

Power of the Elephant Hair Bracelet

How to make an Elephant Hair Bracelet

Creative and Traditional Designs of the Bracelets

Varieties of Elephant hair bracelets

Final Thoughts

Introduction: Insect Repellents

Dealing with pestering Mosquitoes

Conclusion