Savant Syndrome and Autistic Savant free essay sample

Should Rainman Stay? In the movie â€Å"Rainman† the main characters Rainman and Charlie Babbit, two brothers separated at childhood ages. In the movie there dad passes away and all the money goes to Rainman. Charlie finds out he has a brother and his brother is getting all the money. It just so happens Charlie’s business was in the hole eighty-thousand dollars. So Charlie drives to where brother is institutionalized to meet his brother. When there he takes Rainman thinking he can receive the money in having custody of Rainman. Also when there he finds out his brother is an autistic savant. The autistic savant is one of the most fascinating cognitive phenomena in psychology. Autistic savant refers to individuals with autism who have extraordinary skills not exhibited by most persons. Historically, individuals with these exceptional skills were called idiot savants, a French term meaning unlearned (idiot) skill (savant). In a 1978 article in Psychology Today, Dr. We will write a custom essay sample on Savant Syndrome and Autistic Savant or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Bernard Rimland introduced a more appropriate term autistic savant, which is the current label. After that he decides to kidnap Rainman and take him with him to California to receive their dad’s money. Later on in the movie the Charlie grows a brotherly bond with Rainman. At the end Charlie and the institution argues who should have custody of Rainman. Who should Rainman go with? Charlie took Rainman from the institution thinking he could inherit his father’s fortune. Charlie had never taken care of an autistic savant; therefor he has no experience with taking care of him. On their journey together Charlie learns things about Rainman and autistic savant. And grows to learn and love him as a brother. For example when Charlie realizes Rainman has certain needs and has to do certain things at certain times. I remember in the movie Rainman had to have 12 cheese balls and nothing more or less. Or when he couldn’t stand being touch or cursed at. But later in the movie Charlie starts to adjust and really show affection towards Rainman, and really shows me that he might be cable of keeping Rainman with him. On the other hand the institution would be a good place for Rainman. You ask why? Most likely the people there are educated with knowing how to treat people with autistic needs. But on the other hand you can’t get attention and love like you would get from a family member. So I think Rainman should stay with his brother where he can get real loving care from his brother and grow a lifetime connection with a family member and have real support and help from the heart. Rain man would be good at the institution but better off with Charlie. The best place for Rainman to go is with Charlie. I think Charlie should get a chance to show he can really take care of Rainman and show responsibility. The institution would be good but Rainman would have more freedom and fun with Charlie. And who doesn’t like a brotherly bond? Work Cited Research: Autistic Savants: Autism Research Institute. Autism Is Treatable: Autism Research Institute. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. .

San Manuel Bueno, Mártir

San Manuel Bueno, Mrtir Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo was one of the first Spanish writers of the 20th century, who concentrated on the perspective of a man with his passion, desires, and hope and the world itself. This writer tried to analyze the idea of faith in the society. One of his last works was San Manuel Bueno, Mrtir, a novel that represented Unamuno’s thoughts and beliefs. This story is about a parish priest, Don Manuel Bueno, who suddenly loses his faith because of immoral modern world, and the Carballinos, a Spanish family. Angela and Lzaro Carballino, and their mother are attracted by Manuel’s ideas about faith, Christianity, and the life after death. San Manuel Bueno, Mrtir may be considered as a kind of tool used by Unamuno to reproduce his own philosophical ideas.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on San Manuel Bueno, Mrtir specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The narrator of this story is Angela Carballino. She gets her ed ucation outside the village, where her mother lives. The mother is a catholic woman, who tries to teach her daughter about the faith and love to people. In this small village with its lake and magnificent mountains, there is one priest, Don Manuel, who aims at helping people and making them happier and free. By some reasons, Angela is attracted by the village, the priest, and his ideas. One day, her brother, Lzaro, returns to the village. Lzaro is characterized by strong unbelieving in God, faith, and any religion in general. The only purpose of his arrival to the village is to take his mother and sister to the larger, progressive city. However, all his dreams are broke down after his mother’s death. There is one promise that she asks her son to do – to pray for her. Lzaro cannot but keep his promise, that makes him contact with Don Manuel. In a short period of time, Lzaro realizes that Don Manuel does not resemble any other priest he have met before. The idea that th ere is no life after death is not inherent to priests, this is what makes Don Manuel interesting to Lzaro. The main idea that Don Manuel wants to explain to Lzaro is the following: there is no life after death. However, people should not know this terrible truth, and priest’s purpose is to hide this terrible truth in order to make all people happier during their lives. Such idea attracts Lzaro a lot. He makes a decision to covert to Christianity and visit all Don Manuel’s masses in order to become his best disciple. Angela cannot comprehend how people who do not believe in the life after death may teach and help other people, and provide them with the necessary support. One of the most interesting aspects of this story is that Don Manuel does believe in God. He tells that when a person dies, he sees the God’s face, however, this person will not be admitted to the heaven, as it is promised. Another not less interesting thing about this novel is that Unamuno decid es to take the role of God in this story. He is the creator of all characters, he rules all of them and decides when and how each person should die. One of the characters, Augusto Perez, decides to commit suicide and rebel against the creator who rules everybody’s destiny. Before his death, he sees the creator, the author of this story, and gets to know that he is just a fiction character. Now, it is his time to disappear in the mist and be forgotten by the others, and nothing can be changed. Augusto’s attempt to rebel against the writer is his gross mistake, and he needs to be punished. The story ends tragically. Don Manuel has some problems with his health, which suddenly lead him to death. Lzaro, his devoted student, dies soon after him. The idea that Don Manuel scarifies his own life for other people’s happiness makes Lzaro respect and follow each step taken by his teacher. Angela is the only character, who is left. Now, her faith and all moral principles, s he has known before, was broken. She cannot understand how such a blind faith may lead to such a tragic end. She is at loss and no one can help to find the way. This Spanish philosopher and great writer, Miguel de Unamuno y Jugo, influenced considerably the development of the literature of the 20th century. His bright ideas about non-existence of the life after death and that our lives are controlled by someone else were unique for literature of those times. Not every person wants to comprehend that his/her destiny is in the hands of someone. Advertising Looking for report on literature languages? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Everyone wants to control his/her own life independently. After I read this book, I cannot but think whether all my actions have been already written by someone, and I can do nothing to change my life. Of course, such ideas are just my impressions from the book. It is really great that there are such masterpieces, like San Manuel Bueno, Mrtir, that make the reader think about his/her own destiny and the role in this world.

MLA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MLA - Research Paper Example Skin cancer, also known as skin neoplasia, refers to â€Å"the uncontrolled growth of unusual skin cells that can extend from the skin into other tissues and organs if left unchecked† (A.D.A.M, 1). As the cells replicate, they form a tumor. Frequently, skin tumors are referred to as lesions. If tumors are malignant, they become cancerous, which means that they intrude on and invade neighboring tissues owing to their unrestrained growth. They may also spread to the body’s remote organs either through the bloodstream or through the lymphatic system. Metastasis is a term that refers to â€Å"the process in which tumors invade a body organ and spread to other body organs† (Emedicinehealth.com 1) – they invade the neighboring tissues and overwhelm them not only by taking their space but also the oxygen and nutrients that they require to survive as well as function. Rockoff documents that skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer and that estimates hav e it that over one million new cases arise every year. He additionally asserts that annually, the rates of all forms of skin cancer are mounting, which has instigated a mounting public concern. Estimates also have it that almost half of all Americans who live to age 65 get skin cancer no less than once. Skin cancer classification depends on the particular types of epidermal cells involved. The various skin cancer categories therefore include melanoma, basal cell carcinoma/basal cell carcinoma epithelioma and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma takes place in melanocytes – the cells that produce pigment. Although this cancer type is not so common, it is the most dangerous as it tends to metastasize (spread) all over the body quickly. It is the principal cause of skin disease death. The basal cell carcinoma/basal cell carcinoma epithelioma develops when there is abnormal cell growth in epidermis’ lowest layer while the squamous cell carcinoma occurs due to changes in the s quamous cells, which are found in the middle layer of the epidermis (A.D.A.M., 4). Rockoff asserts, â€Å"The first phase of squamous cell carcinoma is called actinic keratosis† (para1). Further, he explains that the last two cancer types are the common-most forms of cancer and are both known as nonmelanoma skin cancer. Other nonmelanoma skin cancers include kaposi's sarcoma, merkel cell carcinoma and cutaneous lymphoma (A.D.A.M., para4). The American Cancer Society documents that â€Å"most cases of nonmelanoma skin cancers occurs on body areas that are mostly exposed to the sun, which include the backs of hands, face, ear, lips and neck†. In addition, depending on the type, they can be slow or fast growing. However, they barely ever spread to other parts of the body. It is important to note that these forms of cancer in particular are very likely to be healed in case of early identification and treatment. Risk factors of Skin Cancer There are various recognized risk factors for skin cancer. Some of them include exposure to the sun and sunburn – as earlier pointed out; areas of the skin that are often exposed to sunlight or ultraviolet radiation are more prone to skin cancer. â€Å"This is deemed the primary cause of all skin cancers† (A.D.A.M., 5). Other causes include light-colored skin, hair and eyes (fair complexion); genetics (having a family history of melanoma); atypical/multiple moles; occupational exposures to radium, coal tar, pitch, arsenic compounds or creosote; in addition to age – nonmelanoma skin

Bolder Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bolder Family - Essay Example Motive should be to focus on the changes in the structure and functioning of the family so that family remains together and with a strong bonding. Abusing parents are responsible for the inappropriate sexual behavior. Therefore, necessity of therapy arises encompassing a programmatic component that addresses the restructuring of the family system. It is based on the wishes of the family, the desires of the child victim and the view of the therapist for treatability of the family reducing traumas and a better chance for change when all are involved with the therapy. In the present case, when evaluation was made pertaining to the factors contributing to the family's vulnerability to incest, precipitating events or situations typically precede an abusive episode and lack of coping mechanism. The family needs an intense therapy. For the situation presented in the study, biggest intervention would be to begin the session with apology. This is a therapeutic ritual which involves many weeks of planning and preparation on the part of the family and which has proven to have a profound impact on the course of the therapy. In the present situation, mother (Linda) was sexually abused by her father during her teens. This may explain her incest alluded to during this session. This has probably paved the way to develop distrust and hatered in her sex- life. She requires an Individual therapy along with the Couple therapy to overcome her fear and to develop trust and faith in her spouse (Mark). It is this trust that will help her overcome her bad memories of childhood and the paranoid behavior towards her daughter (Ashley). It is imperative for her to treat her daughter as a friend to be close to her and to share her feelings. She can emerge as a sensible guide for her and can protect her from the forthcoming events in future. It is not clear in the study who has taken the pictures the girl's father or her boyfriend There are a number of elements providing a multi-generational view in understanding problems. The notion that the problem (sexual abuse/ taking nude pictures of daughter) is symptomatic of a dysfunctional family. It is the portray of a psychologically disturbed nuclear family because every member of the family contributes to the development and maintenance of the problem and the belief that the problem (symptom) may not in itself have significance but rather have a meaning within the family which is not readily apparent in the behavior e.g. sexual abuse of daughter as a tension-reduction mechanism or as a means of displacing feelings of isolation when the legal- sexual partner (wife) is not supportive. Allegations of sexual abuse cannot be made on Mark as there is no evidence that he has abused her daughter. Therapy is imperative for both Linda and Mark. For Linda, a cognitive developmental perspective is essential (woman, sexually abused as child and whose daughter is also sexually abused). It discusses ways in which the development of cognitive self-understanding can by stymied by childhood sexual abuse and how this, in turn, can affect a woman's ability to parent her children. Linda must take full advantage of psychotherapy along with the couple therapy, sexual therapy, family therapy and individual therapy at the age of 43 when physiological changes in female's body start appearing. It is the responsibility of Mark to learn from his parents by seeing them as an ideal for deep family bonding and share

Answer 3 questions about art museums Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Answer 3 questions about art museums - Essay Example The museum shop reminds patrons that the art works they are seeing are displayed by an organization that is reliant on funding and profit. This is a significant realization as it necessitates that the museum be considered with the same analytical lens as one would apply to traditional businesses. This has implications for nearly all decision-making in the institution. Another question is whether artists should strive to make art that resists being commercial. In these regards, it seems that there is nothing inherently wrong with being commercial, or using a commercial aesthetic. Artists that specifically attempt to cultivate commercial values, however, are witnessed as suspect compared to artists that more naturally and authentically produce their art. The notion that art can be produced naturally, or rather can be produced ‘natural’ and ‘authentically,’ however, is not entirely understood as even being

Why is Thermoregulation Important?

Why is Thermoregulation Important? In all living organisms there is a complex series of chemical reactions occurring, the rate of which is dependent of temperature. In order for these chemical reactions to occur and thus sustain life all animals exhibit some way of regulating their body temperature. This process is known as thermoregulation. This regulation is achieved in various ways, either by behavioural or autonomic means. Homeothermic animals take advantage of both behavioural and autonomic means of regulating their body temperature in response to temperature fluctuations. Homeotherms have complex means of maintaining core body temperature within very narrow limits. For example, humans are able to regulate skin blood flow through the vasodilation and vasoconstriction of blood vessels redirecting blood so as to conserve heat in cold conditions or to increase heat loss in the cold. This process is further reviewed later on. Other autonomic processes utilized by homeotherms are shivering and non-shivering thermogene sis. Poikiotherms do not have the means to regulate their body temperature in such a precise way. Their body temperature is more dependent on the environmental temperature and they regulate this primarily by behavioural means. Such animals include bees, fish, amphibians and reptiles. However current knowledge on how this behavioural thermoregulation operates is not very high. Heterotherms exhibit the characteristics of both homeotherms and poikilotherms. One such example are bats which when active utilize autonomic means to maintain their relatively high body temperature. At rest however the metabolic cost of maintaining this body temperature is too high thus they substantially reduce their metabolic rate, at such time they can be described as being poikiothermic. This review will focus in some detail on the various mechanisms by which different animals thermoregulate, some of the benefits and drawbacks associated with thermoregulation and how this complex system has evolved across different groups of animals. I will draw on knowledge from various pieces of literature to give a comprehensive overview of this important life process. Behavioural and autonomic means of thermoregulation As discussed earlier homeotherms are utilise autonomic means to regulate their internal body temperature. It has been postulated that there is a hierarchy of structures responsible for maintaining the internal body temperature of these animals. The preoptic area of the hypothalamus plays a key role in autonomic thermoregulatory process. Early thermal studies identified the preoptic area as the centre of the thermoregulatory response. This area is synaptically connected to the lower brain stem and thus enables precise regulation of body temperature. Early research suggested that an increase in temperature in this preoptic region would lead to the excitation of neurons, resulting in the heat loss organs bringing about a reduction in preoptic temperature. In the same way, a reduction in preoptic temperature would excite neurons and lead to the heat production organs bringing about an increase in preoptic temperature. More recent research however has demonstrated that there is a far grea ter number of warm-sensitive neuron than cold-sensitive. These warm-sensitive neurons, play a much bigger role in the thermoregulatory process. During pre-optic warming these warm sensitive neurons significantly increase their firing rates and because of the synaptic connection with the lower brain stem, effector neurons are able to bring about heat loss responses. The median forebrain bundle is an important pathway that may be utilized here carrying signals to effector areas. In this way autonomic responses such as skin blood flow and shivering are controlled. Figure 1 demonstrates that in addition to bringing about heat loss responses, the increased firing rate of warm sensitive neurons inhibits nearby cold sensitive receptors preventing heat production. During pre-optic cooling the firing rate of warm sensitive neurons decreases thus reducing synaptic inhibition of the cold sensitive neurons. In turn the cold sensitive neurons increase their firing rate and induce heat production responses and heat retention. The preoptic region is also involved in afferent signals, detecting peripheral temperature changes through receptors in the skin. This information is integrated with central temperature information and the appropriate thermal response is activated. Most preoptic neurons are actually temperature insensitive, but do serve a purpose in thermoregulation. It has been postulated that they are involved in the comparison of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs from both warm sensitive and temperature insensitive neurons. It is this that forms the basis for set point temperatures, therefore playing a vital role in heat loss, heat retention and heat production responses. Figure 1 demonstrates the activity of a temperature insensitive neuron. If a neuron is inhibited by a warm sensitive neuron and excited by a temperature insensitive neuron it will act as a cold sensitive neuron. Once the preoptic temperature drops below a certain point i.e. the set point, it will increases it firing rate and bring about heat production and heat retention responses. If thermoregulation does not operate properly it may result in fever. This can be caused by the presence of endogenous substances like pyrogen. Pyrogen affects the activity of the pre-optic thermosensitive neurons. It can inhibit the firing rate of the warm sensitive neurons resulting in heat loss responses not occurring and elevated set point temperature. Also because of the synaptic inhibition between the warm-sensitive and cold-sensitive neurons, this decreased firing rate will result in an increased firing rate in the cold-sensitive neurons and bring about heat production responses further elevating the set point temperature. As a result fever occurs. Skin blood flow The preoptic area is able to coordinate correct efferent response in response to various internal and external thermal stimuli. One of these responses is the control of skin blood flow in humans. The vasodilation of blood vessels and the resultant increased blood flow to the skin is vital to heat dissipation during heat exposure. The increased skin blood flow significantly increases convective heat transfer from the body to the periphery. In conjunction with this increased skin blood flow, the evaporation of sweat from the skin results in cooling of blood in the dilated vessels. This process continues until the internal temperature returns to normal, at which point sweating stops and skin blood flow returns to normal. Skin blood flow in humans is controlled by vasoconstrictor and vasodilator nerves. The vasoconstrictor system is continually active, detecting even detecting subtle changes in ambient temperature. Through this activity maintenance of normal body temperature is achieved. Even small changes in skin blood flow can cause relatively large changes in heat dissipation. The vasodilator system on the other hand is only activated when an increase in internal temperature is detected. This may be during exercise or as a result of environmental heat exposure. Humans have many eccrine sweat glands distributed around the body which are responsible for thermal sweating. These sweat glands are innervated by sympathetic nerves which when stimulated results in secretion. The sweating response is only of benefit when it is coupled with evaporative heat loss. It is for this reason that environmental conditions like humidity and wind speed play an important role in this thermoregulatory process. Sweating and vasodilation are functionally linked however changes in one does not necessarily reflect changes in the other. An example of this is during exercise, as the threshold for cutaneous vasodilation is increased bit the threshold for the sweating response is not. During exercise blood cannot be redirected to the skin at the same level as blood flow to the muscle must be maintained. During cold exposure vasoconstriction of blood vessels and the redirection of blood flow to the core is essential for heat retention. When vasoconstriction occurs its results in a decrease in heat dissipation from the skin. Any alteration in this process can have serious implications, impairing the bodys ability to thermoregulate. As temperature decreases further shivering occurs. These muscular contractions help to maintain core body temperature. Humans are not the only animals to utilize evaporative heat loss process. Despite the fact that most mammals do not have sweat glands many of them are able to use this process in different ways. Birds lack sweat glands and some mammals like cats or dogs only have sweat glands on their feet. In such animals evaporative heat loss occurs by increased air movement over moist mucosal surfaces of the mouth and upper respiratory tract. This is brought about by rapid shallow breathing along with increased salivation. Another way of utilizing this process is seen in rats and kangaroos when they spread saliva on their fur. Tests in rats have shown that warming of the pre optic area of the hypothalamus results in increased saliva secretion. It also resulted in body extension which improves heat loss through the increase in effective body surface area. Many small mammals and those that hibernate exhibit another process in the thermoregulatory process. This process known as non-shivering thermogenesis occurs in response to the cold and it is regulated by the pre-optic area of the hypothalamus. It is a result of increased metabolic activity in the brown adipose tissue. The brown fat cells there are numerous fat droplets interspersed with many mitochondria. The brown adipose tissue has a rich supply and is also innervated by many sympathetic nerves. In cold conditions this non-shivering thermogenesis is activated by impulses passing down these sympathetic nerves or by the release of noradrenaline from the adrenal medulla. The free fatty acid store are burned up with the help of mitochondria and heat is produced. The rich blood supply to the area ensures blood is transported back to the core thus increasing core temperature. This process is seen in animals that hibernate, evident from the amount of brown fat found in such animals. Behavioural thermoregulation As indicated before the preoptic region plays a key role in autonomic thermoregulation, it does not however play such an important role in behavioural thermoregulation. Currently there is a lack of knowledge to indicate exactly which area of the hypothalamus is involved in behavioural thermoregulation. Behavioural responses to changes in environmental temperature occur before the internal body temperature elevates. It is from this that the assumption has been made that receptors in the skin play a key role in behavioural thermoregulation. Research has shown that the neurons responding to thermal stimulation of the skin are located in the spinal cord, with the signals from these reach areas in the cerebral cortex. However these signals, whether detected as hot or cold, cannot be a direct cause of activating the behavioural process. The reasoning behind this is that if a cold stimulus is applied to the skin of a resting animal, they perceive this as unpleasant and move away from it. Ho wever during exercise the same cold stimulus applied to the skin may be perceived as pleasant. It is because of this that the behavioural mechanisms of thermoregulation appear to be based around thermal comfort and discomfort. It has been postulated that the parastrial nucleus and the dorsomedial hypothalamic region are involved in eliciting behavioural responses. Further research however needs to be done to confirm this, possibly by examining the effect of lesions of the two areas on behavioural responses. Once the area directly responsible for eliciting behavioural responses further research can then be done into the relationship between behavioural and autonomic responses. One example of an animal that exhibits mainly behavioural thermoregulation is the lizard. Lizards are ectothermic mainly obtaining heat from external sources. Lizards are able to maintain a relatively high body temperature, unlike most other ectotherms they can do this very precisely. Much research has been carried out into the thermoregulatory process of reptiles. An early concept that was developed was that of the preferred body temperature (PBT), which is related to homeostasis. The idea being that the PBT is the optimum temperature at which the animals physiological processes take place. The PBT varies across species and in some lizards the PBT can change along with the seasons. There are a number of different ways in which the lizard obtains heat from the environment. The absorption of solar radiation or the conduction from hot air or surfaces are the main ways in which lizards gain heat. If internal temperature is too high they may reduce this by radiation from the surface, con vection or conduction to a cooler surface. Like other animals discussed before lizards are able to utilize evaporative cooling processes. In temperate climates lizards maintain a high PBT and obtain heat through absorption of solar radiation by basking in the sun, these are known as basking heliotherms. Different species of lizard exhibit different behaviour in relation to basking. The Lacerta vivipara emerges and begins to bask at a time when the activity temperature can be reached in the least time. This way they do not unnecessarily make themselves vulnerable to predators. Other lizards may emerge at a constant time independent of temperature. When basking lizards will adopt a specific posture in order to maximise body surface area and thus maximising their heat gain from the surroundings. They do this by sprawling on the ground with outstretched legs. During the day lizards will alternate between periods of activity and periods of basking. When they achieved their activity tempe rature they will stop basking and may begin actively foraging for food. During this time their internal body temperature is continually dropping and once it reaches a certain point they will have to bask again. This is a continual cycle throughout the day, observed in species known as shuttling heliotherms. Species which obtain most of their heat by conduction from hot rocks are known as thigmotherms, they are only able to in regions with intense solar radiation. Although the information on how lizards monitor their body temperature and how they use this to elicit the appropriate behavioural response is limited, the assumption is made that they must have thermal receptors in the skin. While maintaining a high body temperature the lizard will exhibit a lower metabolic rate than mammals, the reason being that they obtain most of their heat by thermal radiation. However lizards do generate some heat by metabolism but as they do not have fur, feathers or other insulatory means seen in h ometherms this heat is lost very quickly. Research has shown that heart rate can effect thermoregulation in these animals. During cooling the animals heart rate decreases thus decreasing blood flow and conserving heat. As seen in other animals, these reptiles exhibit some control over peripheral blood flow through the sympathetic vasoconstriction or vasodilation of blood vessels. Evolution of homethermy Endotherms like birds and mammals are different from ectotherms in that they have substantially higher standard metabolic rate. When the ambient temperature is reduced endotherms may raise their metabolic rate to generate heat, as opposed to ectotherms such as the lizard which simply allow their body temperature to drop. The evolution of this process of homeothermy may have occurred in stages with the first being the development of behavioural thermoregulation. As seen in the lizard this can become very precise. Once this level of thermoregulation had been achieved enzymes may have become adapted to function optimally at the PBT. Along with a gradual increase in the importance of metabolic heat and development of fur, feathers and subcutaneous fat to retain the heat homeothermy eventually evolved. Consequences of homethermy The evolution of homethermy has many advantages, in that it gives such animals independence from changes in environmental temperature. There are however some downfalls to this process. In order to maintain their high body temperature they must also maintain a high metabolic rate. To do so homeothermic animals must eat a lot more than poikiotherms and they must do so continually. This can be a big problem for small mammals or birds which lose heat fairly quickly. These smaller animals must feed voraciously just to maintain their body temperature. Adaptions to cold Many animals have had to adapt to survive in climates where they are exposed to severe cold conditions. There is a number of ways in which they do this, either through migration, adapting itself to tolerate the cold or it can go into hibernation. Some poikiotherms such as faced with extreme cold have demonstrated adaptions to avoid freezing through the secretion of glycerol. Through this they are able to reduce the freezing point of the body fluids. Another adaption to surviving extreme cold conditions is known as supercooling. This phenomenon is the ability to tolerate temperatures lower than the typical freezing point. One experiment demonstrated that fish taken from deep water had a freezing point between -0.9 and -1.0 C, yet the temperature of the water from which they were taken was -1.73C. Thus they are demonstrating supercooling. It is through this process that deep water fish are able to survive such low temperatures. Another adaption to climatic stress is hibernation. During hibernation, body temperature decreases to approximately that of the surrounding environment. Heart rate and metabolic rate also drop to a minimal level. Animals that hibernate are homeothermic during the summer but under the cold conditions of winter they become poikilothermic. During hibernation the animal remains inactive with greatly reduced metabolic requirements. The animal sustains these small requirements through its energy stores. If surrounding conditions get too low the animals metabolic rate may increase to generate heat. Some species also exhibit another process in regulating their body temperature. This process is a cycle between phases of intense activity with phases of torpor. This is a daily cycle exhibited in small birds and mammals that have high metabolic rates. An animal that exhibits such behaviour is the insectivorous bat. Their particular aerial habits inhibit them from carrying large energy stores. Studies have shown that torpor is important in energy maintenance during the summer diurnal roosting of the N. geoffroy. While resting, the energetic cost of maintaining a  constant, high (normothermic) body temperature (Tb) in small  bats rises steeply when ambient temperature (Ta) decreases below  about 30_C (Herreid and Schmidt-Nielsen 1966; Kulzer et  al. 1970; Genoud 1993; Geiser and Brigham 2000). Hence, thermoregulation  throughout the diurnal rest phase can be energetically  expensive, even at relatively high roost Ta. Furthermore,  during cool weather, insect activity and therefore foraging  success and energy intake of insectivorous bats typically declines  dramatically (Paige 1995; Hickey and Fenton 1996). Torpor is  likely an important factor in allowing insectivorous bats to  manage their energy expenditure nd survive in temperate climates  

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Movie and Book Essay -- Movie Film co

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Movie and Book The novel, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", by Maya Angelou is the first series of five autobiographical novels. This novel tells about her life in rural Stamps, Arkansas with her religious grandmother and St. Louis, Missouri, where her worldly and glamorous mother resides. At the age of three Maya and her four-year old brother, Bailey, are turned over to the care of their paternal grandmother in Stamps, Arkansas. Southern life in Stamps, Arkansas was filled with humiliation, violation, and displacement. These actions were exemplified for blacks by the fear of the Ku Klux Klan, racial separation of the town, and the many incidents in belittling blacks. Maya knows that to be black and female is to be faced with violence and violation. This is brought into focus when she goes to live with her mother and is raped by her mother’s boyfriend. When Maya is faced with this catastrophe, tells who did this to her, and the man is killed, she believes her voice killed him. She withdraws into herself and vows never to speak again. Her mother feeling that she has done everything in her power to make Maya talk, but can cannot reach her, sends Maya and her brother back to Stamps. After Maya returns to Stamps and with the help of her Teacher-Ms. Flowers she begins to speak again. The culmination of the novel is when Maya describes her eighth grade graduation. Angelou, her classmates, and parents listen to the condescending and racist manner in which the guest speaker talks. After listening to his insults, Maya realizes "she is the master of her fate" which was expressed in the valedictory address given by her classmate. Maya becomes a single parent at the age of eighteen, bu... ..., the film portrayed the kids being overly whelmed with hatred when they received gifts from their parents. It was like they never knew their parents existed. Another example of the difference between the book and the movie is Mr. Freeman (mother’s boyfriend) was presented as being very reserved with the children. In the movie he was seen as warm, talkative, and friendly towards Maya and her brother. The film also showed Mr. Freeman’s manly behavior by confronting Vivian (Maya’s mother) at her job. However, in the book Mr. Freeman never left the house, he always sat and waited at home for her. Although reality involves a vast supply of details and you can not select them all. Many writers, directors, and artists, emphasis with this information and diminish other information in order to make the novels, movies, plays and etc. more vivid to our imagination.