September 17th, 2009
Genes determine the information that is passed on from generation to generation. Whether the organism is a tree, a fruit fly or a human we all share similar genetic mechanisms and genetic characteristics that control our lives. A gene is a long polymer of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and consists of four chemical molecules that are arranged in specific sequences. The 4 nucleic acids are:
- Guanine (G)
- Adenine (A)
- Thymine (T)
- Cytosine (C)
The arrangement of these molecules in the DNA controls what characteristics we will inherit. For example eye colour and a predisposition to disease are all controlled by genes.
Posted in Molecular Genetics | No Comments »
December 11th, 2009
Genetics is the study of the inheritance and diversity of traits in living organisms. It is a branch of biology and has rapidly gained notoriety due to the controversial nature of many of its possible implications.
The science of genetics focuses primarily on DNA, and more specifically upon the genes which are present within DNA strands. These genes each represent particular characteristics or traits that can be inherited by from the parents of any living thing.
The science of genetics can be traced back through history in various forms and theories, but the real Godfather of genetics is widely regarded to be Gregor Mendel. Mendel was a German-Czech monk who studied inheritance in plants and was able to describe this phenomenon mathematically.
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October 7th, 2009
With so many years spent within the education system should more time be spend in these early years on the skills that are required to work successfully in teams? When any young person is asked what is important when working in groups a similar answer prevails from different ages and all types of schools state too public. This answer is either “Teamwork” or “working together”. Its when asked what constitutes teamwork or working together that the group often become stuck for answers.
So what does make good teamwork? Communication is a good starting point. The different components of communication, talking or maybe, shouting is useless unless there is someone that is listening. Is this the only communication? There is of course sign language. Although we don’t all know British Sign Language its is still possible for many of us to successfully communicate with our hands. We can of course communicate so much by our facial expressions and body language.
Patience is something that many young people seem to lack. In a society where so much is instantaneous with the development of technologies, children should be aware that patience with any task is important but patience with other people is just as important. Following on from patience with the task in hand, perseverance is again something that is lacking with many of today’s younger people and can be encouraged by team building exercises.
Sharing is so important in a team. Not just sharing the jobs out but sharing ideas. For groups to all share their ideas and then use the best bits of all the ideas to make a supreme plan stands the team in good line for success. But what should the team do if the idea doesn’t work? Back to perseverance; share more ideas and try again.
Are these criteria the only ones for a successful team? Absolutely not, a successful team is like an iceberg, there is far more under the surface than most think.
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October 3rd, 2009
Every event is different but there are a few simple things you can do to help your genetics event or workshop run smoothly. The real key is to know what you want to achieve with your event and coming up with a plan that will deliver that.
It always helps to get other people on board when it comes to planning your event, particularly if you are fairly inexperienced yourself. There are certain elements to events planning, such as the budgeting and legal requirements, which may be best handled by experts.
The rest of your preparations will depend on the people who will be attending your event so make sure you understand your invitees. You need an idea of how many are coming and what they will be expecting from the event.
You will need to find an appropriate date and time to run your event as well as a suitable venue to host it. Make sure that there is adequate accommodation, car parking and food and refreshments available to guests at the event, even if you are not providing them yourself.
Make sure that any requirements for equipment can be met and have a backup plan prepared in case any of the equipment does not arrive or fails to work. If you are planning to use an overhead projector have a flip chart at the ready as well. If you are planning live music have some CD’s and a stereo system ready too.
Be ready to be flexible. Certain people will respond differently to different things so you may need to tweak your presentation or your content to suit a particular audience. Try to engage the people attending your event as much as possible since it is being run for them at the end of the day. Ask them what they think of the event and get their feedback wherever possible.
Once the event is over you should ask yourself if it was a success. This might include questions such as did the event come in on budget, did the guests have a good time and where you able to cope with any problems along the way?
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