Epic Poems A Historical Context - 1474 Words

Vincent Probst Classical Mythology Professor Barefield Odyssey Final Paper 5/4/2015 Topic #1 Epic poems are being interpreted as immense drawn-out stories which often encompass an emotional plot with a historical context. Epic stories also need to be written on a serious influential subject that requires an overall goal, which the protagonist needs to pursue and accomplish. Granted, while there are many modern epics, The Odyssey composed by Homer in the eighth century B.C, is indisputably one of the most famous and oldest surviving epics. Its plot is centered on Odysseus, warrior king of Ithaca who desperately undertakes an eight-year long journey in an effort to return home to his wife and family. A sequel to Homer’s Iliad, the Odyssey picks up, following the events of the Trojan War and the death of Achilles. Although there is no information about Homer himself, the oral formulaic performance theory suggests that these stories were composed verbally and passed on from generation to generation. In fact, the Odyssey and the Iliad were not written down for another two hundred years and as a result, there is room of debatable speculation on the originality of the text itself. Right from the beginning the reader is made aware about the subject matter of the Odyssey. â€Å"Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns †¦driven time and again off course, once he had plundered the hallowed heights of Troy. Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds, many painsShow MoreRelated Comparison of Odyssey, Divine Comedy, and Paradise Lost Essay1089 Words   |  5 PagesComparison of Odyssey, Divine Comedy, and Paradise Lost      Ã‚   Epics by definition are long narrative poems, that are grand in both theme and style (Webster 417).   They usually involve actions of great glory and are typically centered around historical or legendary events of universal significance.   Most epics deal with the deeds of a single individual, however, it is not uncommon to have more than one main character.   Epics embody several main features including: supernaturalRead MoreA Critical Appraisal of: Beowulf and Gilgamesh Essay examples1640 Words   |  7 Pagescomparisons that can be drawn between the epics of Beowulf and Gilgamesh. Both are historical poems which shape their respected culture and both have major social, cultural, and political impacts on the development of western civilization literature and writing. Before any analysis is made, it is vital that some kind of a foundation be established so that a further, in-depth exploration of the complex nature of both narratives can be accomplished. The epic of Gilgamesh is an important MiddleRead MoreThe Importance Of Dantes Inferno1449 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout Dante’s epic poem, Inferno, history has played an integral part in its storyline. By knowing the history, it is evident that the conflict between the Guelphs and the Ghibellines had an immense impact on the writing and the points made throughout. The issues of the time show themselves through the suggestive undertones and the scenarios Dante experiences. Accordingly, the text remains relevant due to the many lessons that can be learned through the sins of the people at the time relativeRead MoreEssay about Analyzing and Improving Multimodality in the Memory Artifact1498 Words   |  6 PagesThe purpose of my memory artifact is to argue that epic poetry is a form of memory representation used to portray the collective memory of a nation and a civilization. An Epic poem is a long narrative poem that deals with an event significant or important to a culture or nation. I believe my presentation was quite successful since I was able to get my message across and make a connection with the audience. However, my presentation only incorporated the visual and oral components of WOVEN and failedRead MoreThe Epic Of Epic Poems1106 Words   |  5 Pages Epic poems played a significant role in maintaining historical events during the Middle Ages. With very little written records, epic poems were memorized and passed down as an oral communication for generations. Beowulf was an example of this type of story that may have existed for a century before it was documented. Unfortunately, due to this type of record keeping, there is no accurate account of the time frame that Beowulf was created or even by what author. It could be deduced that thisRead Morecritical appreciation1066 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Critical appreciation of a poem is defined as the critical reading of a poem. The meaning of its words, its rhyme, scheme, the speaker, figures of speech, the references to other works (intertextuality), the style of language, the general writing style of the poet ( if mentioned), the genre, the context, the tone of the speaker and such other elements make up the critical reading or appreciation. It does not mean criticising the po em. A critical appreciation helps in a better understanding of theRead MoreThe Faerie Queene Analysis1558 Words   |  7 PagesMutable Times: Spenser’s Views on Change and Protestantism To change or not to change? Spenser suggests both in his epic poem, The Faerie Queene. This question simmers under the surface of this fantastical tale of missions and quests, knights and ladies, love and hate. In this epic poem, Spenser contends that change can be both good and bad, but is inevitably constant. This essay examines how The Faerie Queene, similarly to Foxe’s Book of Martyrs, is an allegory for love of the Protestant faithRead MoreUnderstanding Poetry By Robert Penn Warren And Cleanth Brooks1400 Words   |  6 Pagesfeelings and attitudes in such a context, and not on the actions or ideas as such. Poetry is a response to, and an evaluation of our experience of the objective, bustling world and our ideas about it. â€Å"In the book, ‘A Poetry Handbook,’ written by Mary Oliver and published in 1994, she wrote, Poetry is a river; many voices travel in it; poem after poem moves along in the exciting crests and falls of the river waves. None is timeless; each arrives in a historical context; almost everything, in the endRead MoreAnalysis Of Dante Alighieri s Inferno 1556 Words   |  7 Pagesthis book about and what message does this particular ancient poem aim to explain? This epic poem was written in the fourteenth century and there were a lot of commentary involved in the story itself. Dante’s Inferno is widely seen as one of the greatest epics to ever grace textbooks. The text itself throughout this story speaks much to the concept of life and death and what the afterlife is like according to Dante and this is an epic that the Catholic church to this day denounces to a large degreeRead MoreThe Aeneid A Kind Of Propaganda, Cicero s Second Philippic1351 Words   |  6 P agesBattle of Actium entrains several issues. This essay will discuss Virgil’s Latin epic ‘The Aeneid’, a kind of propaganda, Cicero’s ‘Second Philippic’ a piece written with personal and political intentions in mind, and Plutarch’s Rome in Crisis regarding Antony. One must treat these sources with caution, not least because of the inherent bias present in their writing. It is necessary to take into account the context, type of source and how the author has shaped material for their own personal or political

Essay on Gender in Hawthorne’s Blithedale Romance

Gender in Hawthorne’s Blithedale Romancenbsp; nbsp; The Blithedale Romance, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story of a twisted utopia. This perfect world is twisted in that the roles of gender have a traditional utopian representation, only with a more contemporary take. Of course, this is interesting because this book was written and published in the 19th century when such ideas were beginning to establish a form for the genre of writing. Hawthorne combines fantasy, philosophy, mystery, gothic, and even [what would be called today] science fiction. This novel illustrates the early break from even fresh ideas. The writing style allows for the genderizing degenderizing affect as well as nature of the self. nbsp;†¦show more content†¦The males within the novel always seemed to be placing their skills and knowledge above the womens own. Characters such as Coverdale and Hollingsworth placed their own thoughts above those of the female characters almost anytime that they could. The women, oddly, seemed to show diverse roles. Subtly, this is a representation of women as more complex than men in general. One of the characters, Zenobia, is probably the most least genderized character of the novel, that is, until the end. Throughout most of the novel, she is seen as very masculine (in comparison to traditional roles that is) yet very feminine at the same time. She has a mystical illusion about her yet seems very sensible in the ways of life. However, by the end of the novel, Hawthorne writes her character to be very manipulative and weak, for she dies of grief. On the other hand, the other female character, Priscilla, seems to hold the same mystical aura about her, yet she is the is t he typical female character. She is feminine in her daily activities; she prances around with a constant smile and seems naive about the world. She is the victim of others doings. The hierarchy of the sexes is blatantly obvious in that it favors the male and holds the male ideals perfectly. nbsp; Nature was a main idea in theShow MoreRelatedThe Whiteness of the Veil: Color and the veil in Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil and The Blithedale Romance1578 Words   |  6 PagesShadow in Hawthorne’s Fiction† Walter Blair approaches an interpretation of Hawthorne’s work through the author’s manipulation of color and light to produce symbolic meaning. Blair addresses â€Å"The Minister’s Black Veil† and notes the repeated emphasis on the blackness of Father Hooper’s veil and the pallor as a reaction to it. â€Å"The design of this tale,† he asserts, â€Å"is one in which repeated patterns of light, then blackness, then whiteness meaningfully occur† (Blair 76). Similarly, Hawthorne’s novel TheRead MoreThe Nathaniel Hawthorne s The Blithedale Romance And The Susanna Cummins The Lamplighter1574 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s The Blithedale Romance and Maria Susanna Cumminsâ€⠄¢ The Lamplighter are vastly different books. While originally published within two years of each other, both authors approached their writing through distinctive practices. Hawthorne failed to show development in the majority of his characters in his romance, while Cummins’ sentimental novel is heavily loaded with positive character growth. After reading The Blithedale Romance and The Lamplighter, one of the main differences notedRead MoreThe New England Renaissance1942 Words   |  8 Pagesof Longfellows earliest poems were published previous to 1830, and some of Whittiers also; but it was really nearer 1840 than 1830 that either obtained general recognition as a poet. Emersons first series of Essays was published in 1841, and Hawthornes Mosses from an Old Manse in 1846. The Scarlet Letter did not appear until 1850. It was, nevertheless, a period of intellectual activity. In Boston and Cambridge, new ideas were stirring the minds of the thinkers, and throughout the New En gland States

Sarnath Free Essays

The Buddha went from Bodhgaya to Sarnath about 5 weeks after his enlightenment. Before Gautama (the Buddha-to-be) attained enlightenment, he gave up his austere penances and his friends, the Pancavaggiya monks, left him and went to Isipatana. [4] After attaining Enlightenment the Buddha, leaving Uruvela, travelled to the Isipatana to Join and teach them. We will write a custom essay sample on Sarnath or any similar topic only for you Order Now He went to them because, using his spiritual powers, he had seen that his five former companions would be able to understand Dharma quickly. While travelling to Sarnath, Gautama Buddha had to cross the Ganges. Having no money with which to pay the ferryman, he crossed the Ganges through the air. When King Bimbis ¤ra heard of this, he abolished the toll for ascetics. When Gautama Buddha found his five former companions, he taught them, they understood and as a result they also became enlightened. At that time the Sangha, the community of the enlightened ones, was founded. The sermon Buddha gave to the five monks was his irst sermon, called the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta. It was given on the full-moon day of Asalha PuJa. [5] Buddha subsequently also spent his first rainy season at Sarnath[6] at the Mulagandhakuti. The Sangha had grown to 60 in number (after Yasa and his friends had become monks), and Buddha sent them out in all directions to travel alone and teach the Dharma. All 60 monks were Arahants. Several other incidents connected with the Buddha, besides the preaching of the first sermon, are entioned as having taken place in Isipatana. Here it was that one day at dawn Yasa came to the Buddha and became an Arahant. [7] It was at Isipatana, too, that the rule was passed prohibiting the use of sandals made of talipot leaves. [8] On another occasion when the Buddha was staying at Isipatana, having gone there from R ¤Jagaha, he instituted rules forbidding the use of certain kinds of flesh, including human flesh. [9] Twice, while the Buddha was at Isipatana, M ¤ra visited him but had to go away discomfited. [10] How to cite Sarnath, Papers

An Advancement of Learning and An August Midnight Compare and contrasting free essay sample

The poems â€Å"An Advancement of Learning† and â€Å"An August Midnight† are connected in some way, these poems focus on encounters with certain creatures or animals. Heaney’s with a rat on a river embankment in Belfast and Hardy’s with nocturnal insects that fly through his window. In the poems In contrast they are laid out in different structures. In â€Å"An Advancement of Learning† it has eight stanzas of four short lines. In contrast â€Å"An August Midnight† is made up of two stanzas with six long lines, giving the poem a calm quality. In â€Å"An Advancement of Learning† Heaney recalls on his childhood fear of rats. This is due to his experiences of fear growing up on a farm as a child. The rats provide a link between his childhood and his inner-city life as an adult. â€Å"An August Midnight† is based on Hardy’s beliefs that all animals were conscious beings worthy of respect based on the evolutionary theory that all living things are related. We will write a custom essay sample on An Advancement of Learning and An August Midnight Compare and contrasting or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This interest is also evident in the close up acute details of the insects’ anatomy â€Å"winged, horned and spined†. The settings of both poems are very different or inconsistent. In â€Å"An Advancement of Learning† it is situated outside in an urban river landscape. It is portrayed as polluted with â€Å"dirty-keeled swans†. Overall it is an urban setting and a shabby environment, where it projects the negativity of the encounter. Whereas in â€Å"An August Midnight† it is inside and a welcoming scene inside a tranquil room where the insects are lured in by lamplight and an open window. Both poems contrast, in â€Å"An August Midnight† Hardy isn’t dismissive or scornful towards the insects, he shows them respect. This is shown when Hardy says â€Å"God’s humblest†. However in â€Å"An Advancement of Learning† uses words such as â€Å"slimed† and â€Å"slobbered† to describe the rat’s movements, this portrays Heaney’s dislike or hatred towards rats.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Free Essays on “Rape Fantasies” vs. “Looking at Woman”

â€Å"Rape Fantasies† vs. â€Å"Looking at Woman† The following essay goes in depth about the concern for female power and if females even have any power over males. â€Å"Rape Fantasies† is written in a woman’s perspective and â€Å"Looking at Woman† is written in a male’s perspective. As you continue to read this essay you will see the differences that men and woman share, and how the authors differ when talking about the roles of woman today. â€Å"Rape Fantasies† is an essay where a woman named Estelle is the narrator and she speaks to the reader about her life and her own rape fantasies. The fantasies are not so much rape fantasies, but fantasies of meeting different people in the wrong way. Estelle befriends the rapists and has conversations with them and this is her way of meeting different people. Estelle narrates this essay. She is at work with her co-workers and is listening to each one of them tell their rape fantasy stories and then goes on to tell hers too. At this point when she is telling hers, it is Friday night and she is at a bar with a complete stranger. Estelle is in her mid-thirties, roughly, and seems to have a dull, boring job. Due to the lack of excitement at her job, she creates these fantasies about men entering her life and wanting to have sex with her, but she always end up feeling sorry for that person in each fantasy. One has an acne problem and she wants to give him the name of her dermatologist and the other has a cold and she offers him some Kleenex and he ends up staying the night with her. These fantasies are created by her need to be with someone and not to be lonely. When Estelle enters the bar on a Friday night she sits at a table and begins talking about her rape fantasies with a random stranger that she meets. She reveals a lot about her self to this complete stranger and I believe that she is trying to fulfill one of her fantasies with this man. Estelle wants to have someone in... Free Essays on â€Å"Rape Fantasies† vs. â€Å"Looking at Woman† Free Essays on â€Å"Rape Fantasies† vs. â€Å"Looking at Woman† â€Å"Rape Fantasies† vs. â€Å"Looking at Woman† The following essay goes in depth about the concern for female power and if females even have any power over males. â€Å"Rape Fantasies† is written in a woman’s perspective and â€Å"Looking at Woman† is written in a male’s perspective. As you continue to read this essay you will see the differences that men and woman share, and how the authors differ when talking about the roles of woman today. â€Å"Rape Fantasies† is an essay where a woman named Estelle is the narrator and she speaks to the reader about her life and her own rape fantasies. The fantasies are not so much rape fantasies, but fantasies of meeting different people in the wrong way. Estelle befriends the rapists and has conversations with them and this is her way of meeting different people. Estelle narrates this essay. She is at work with her co-workers and is listening to each one of them tell their rape fantasy stories and then goes on to tell hers too. At this point when she is telling hers, it is Friday night and she is at a bar with a complete stranger. Estelle is in her mid-thirties, roughly, and seems to have a dull, boring job. Due to the lack of excitement at her job, she creates these fantasies about men entering her life and wanting to have sex with her, but she always end up feeling sorry for that person in each fantasy. One has an acne problem and she wants to give him the name of her dermatologist and the other has a cold and she offers him some Kleenex and he ends up staying the night with her. These fantasies are created by her need to be with someone and not to be lonely. When Estelle enters the bar on a Friday night she sits at a table and begins talking about her rape fantasies with a random stranger that she meets. She reveals a lot about he rself to this complete stranger and I believe that she is trying to fulfill one of her fantasies with this man. Estelle wants to have someone in...

Natural Resources and Energy on The Forest Essay

Natural Resources and Energy on The Forest - Essay Example Simultaneously weather change is posing an added significant menace to the healthiness of ecologies and hence their capability to offer bionetwork services, at the same time as human populace upsurge and resource usage for each person is growing. Such a blend of ecological, climatic and monetary burdens causing to food, water and energy scarcities has a potential risk. Therefore an ecology-based set of resolutions that human social order can use to evade possible impending difficulties, in addition to manage with and adjusting to vicissitudes are even now undergoing and is expected to endure. Central to attaining this goal is to manage the technique bionetwork welfares are adopted into conservative judgment creating tools. For instance the technique ecology services are appreciated and accounted for in the current financial model and pointers like gross national products (GDP). At present, the international financial model and countrywide accounting does not count for all the importa nt welfares that nature offers to populaces, particularly in the long period leading to the misuse or mistreatment of natural assets before their supportable and effective usage. Devoid of complete evaluation of less-tangible natural profits as of ecologies, usage will continue untenable and dreadful conditions unavoidable causing to the possible breakdown of significant ecology roles and facilities. It is obvious that there is a necessity to improve a fiscal model that precisely mirrors profits to populaces as of the environs and the expenses linked with ecology collapse. Making this correct will help to advance in the direction of sustainability. Effects of Growing Human Population The endurance of ecosystem is less anywhere populace mass is maximum. The Asia/Pacific region has lost considerable portion of its genuine forest cover, typically to agricultural expansion however correspondingly to urbanization and mineral exploitation. Damages in Europe estimated to be average 75 % in Russia 24%, in Africa 68%, and in the Americas 35%, however with much higher rates in more thickly occupied regions for example the seaside areas and Central America. The major territories of wilderness endure only in a lesser amount of populous zones of the globe, which for numerous facts have demonstrated difficult for human being to settle in a few numbers. These comprise the rainforests of the Amazon basin and Central Africa; the ice-covered taiga areas of Siberia and isolated areas of North America; and certain desert, mountain and swamp areas. Examples of the latter types comprise the African Sahara; the huge Himalayan regions. Increasing affluence and financial activity amid humanoid strengthen their influence on local bionetworks by swelling request for natural assets and causing contamination as of manufacturing and energy production. Affluence can offer the assets for a clean-up of contamination, as happened with some European tributaries in modern time. Similarly, severa l European nations are substituting agricultural land and old manufacturing industries with quasi-natural forests. This is likely for the reason that they have the affluence to purchase food from somewhere else or to participate in intensive farming to produce additional foodstuff from less acreage, and have the craving to reinstate olden environments. For example, the

Changes in Firm's Capital Structure add Shareholder Value Research Paper

Changes in Firm's Capital Structure add Shareholder Value - Research Paper Example The higher the level of debt the higher the level of risk. But nevertheless the higher the level of risk the higher the possible returns on a given level of investment. Shareholder value comes from the demand for and supply of company shares. If the management of the company were to decide in favor of more equity issues, then depending on the demand for the company shares the company value would rise or fall. With that, the shareholder value also would rise or fall. A risk is inevitably associated with the value of the firm viz. managers or agents always prefer a higher level of debt because it increases the value of the firm or its assets. Indeed the risk also increases though from the viewpoint of the manager it’s irrelevant because equity issues would glut the market with company shares and bring down the value of the company. As a result, the existing shareholders cannot be happier. They would get a windfall if they sold their shares now. Similarly when more debt is issued the company becomes entitled to more tax benefits. That, in turn, increases the value of the firm and thereby the shareholder value. The capital market structure of the firm can be examined with reference to a number of theories. The Modigliani-Miller Theorem is the earliest of such theories to consider the relevance of capital structure to determine the value of a firm. In recent times these theoretical constructs have been developed in line with an ever increasing tendency to consider the leverage issue of the company. Leveraging by managers to achieve exclusive personal goals is nothing new. In fact, it’s the conflict of interests between the principals or owners (or shareholders) and the agents (or managers) that have thrust the issue of leverage to the fore. In other words, the complex issues revolving around the capital structure of the firm are basically influenced by this conflict in which managers tend to have more information about the probable outcomes of future investments.

Computer Crime and Cyber-Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Computer Crime and Cyber-Terrorism - Essay Example Yet another dangerous result of the developments in technology and the availability of the Internet has occurred in the field of cyberterrorism, offering terrorists an expanded platform from which to propagate their ideas and launch their attacks (www.ntrg.cs.tcd.ie).   Online crime has now become a multi-billion dollar business. Hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the means they use to get users to disclose confidential financial and personal information, which is then misused. According to an expert in online risk management, the world of computer security is increasingly under threat because users leave large online footprints.(Lush, 2007). Online crime may be of three types – phishing, malware, and corporate attacks.   Phishing is the practice of sending emails with links that direct users to websites where they unwittingly disclose confidential data or expose their systems to malicious software. It is mainly financial institutions that are targeted through such methods, with the number of such websites being estimated at 55,000 in April 2007 (Lush, 2007). Malware and corporate attacks may destroy or steal confidential business and customer data or may convert a computer system into a â€Å"bot†, whereby it is controlled by someone else who gains access to all the sensitive information that is present on the computer. Banks are most often the targets of online crimes. In a recent study conducted at the University of Berkeley, the Bank of America was found to be the largest target of identity theft, followed by other banks such as HSBC and Washington Mutual (Seltzer, 2008).

Folic Acid Biotechnological Production and Applications

Folic Acid Biotechnological Production and Applications NUR SHAHIRAH BINTI BAHARUDIN Summary Folic acid (synthetic form) which also known as folate (naturally occurring form) is a member of the water soluble B complex vitamin. Folic acid is man-made. It can be found in many beans, grains, fortified breakfast cereals, pasta, and green vegetables. Folic acid plays big part in building DNA and aids the body to make new new cells, especially red blood cells. Folic acid hold general properties of water-soluble vitamin which are enter the bloodstream properties immediately after being consumed through excretion in urine. Other than that, unlike fat-soluble vitamin, they are easily destroyed in heat or by air pressure. These folic acid are absorbed into blood via portal vein to the liver. Vitamin B9 including folic acid and folate is important for several bodily functions which are used for synthesizing and repairing DNA, RNA and , assisting rapid cell division and growth to produce healthy red blood cells. It is important for pregnant women to have enough folic acid to prevent major birth defects of her babys brain or spine and enhances brain health. The memory is said to be improved through folic acid consumption. The human body does not synthesize folic acid, therefore to make sure we have adequate amounts ,we should take it everyday. To reduce the number of neural tube defects there are many countries are adopted the policy of fortification of folic acid. When fortification is introduced , many people are exposed to an increased intake of folic acid .With this, neural tube defects can be prevented. For animals, diet that consists can influence DNA and histone. This leads to phenotypic changes in next generation. While for humans, the increased intake leads to elev ated blood concentrations and of unmetabolized folic acid. This related to decreased natural killer cell cytotoxicity, and reduce the response to antifolate drugs used against cancer, malaria, and cancer. Keywords : Folic acid, water-soluble vitamin,fat-soluble vitamin, methylation,antifolate 1 INTRODUCTION History of Folic acid Through a research made by Indian scientist, there is connection between the macrocytic anaemia and deficiency in the diet. However, what kind of deficiency was not determined. The name of â€Å"folic acid was suggested which coming from the Latin word for the leaf â€Å"foium†,due to a factor suspected of having vitamin-like properties in animals that was isolated from spinach. In 1945, the importance of folic acid to treat a type of amenia during pregnancy can be seen through a demonstration. In 1962 , Dr. Victor Herbert conducted experiment on himself in order to show a shortage of folic acid caused a type of anemia.The experiment is successful. It was Dr. Herbert’s findings that set the criteria for the diagnosis of folate deficiency and the folic acid adult requirement. Figure 1.1 Chemical Structure of Folic Acid 2 FOLIC ACID BIOLOGICAL ROLES 2.1 DNA and Cell Division For the production DNA and RNA synthesis and maintaining new cells, folate is required. And it is also required in preventing changes to DNA, and, thus, for preventing cancer. More specifically it helps in the manufacture of nucleic acids like Thymine. A folate coenzyme is required for the synthesis of methionine, and methionine is required for the synthesis of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM). SAM is a methyl group (one-carbon unit) donor used in many biological methylation reactions, including the methylation of a number of sites within DNA and RNA. 2.2 Biochemistry of DNA base and amino acid production In the form of a series of tetrahydrofolate (THF) compounds, folate derivatives are substrates in a number of single-carbon-transfer reactions, and also are involved in the synthesis of dTMP (2†²-deoxythymidine-5†²-phosphate) from dUMP (2†²-deoxyuridine-5†²-phosphate). It is a substrate for an important reaction that involves vitamin B12 and it is necessary for the synthesis of DNA and required for all dividing cells. 2.3 Conversion to biologically active derivatives All the biological functions of folic acid are performed by tetrahydrofolate and other derivatives. Their biological availability to the body depends upon dihydrofolate reductase action in the liver. This action is unusually slow in humans. Due to this low activity, it has been suggested this limits the conversion of folic acid into its biologically active forms when folic acid is consumed at levels higher than the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (1 mg/d for adults) 3 FOLIC ACID USES AND EFFECTIVENESS Kidney disease About 90% of people with serious kidney disease have high levels of homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine have been linked to heart disease and stroke.By taking folic acid,it may lower homocysteine levels in people with serious kidney disease. However,through a research, folic acid supplementation are found fail to reduce the risk of heart disease-related events. Colon Cancer Folic acid play big role of protection for patients with the inflammatory bowel condition ulcerative colitis are particularly at risk for colon cancer. In a subsequent study, researchers examined the effects of folate on a laboratory model of colorectal cancer development in mice. They discovered that animals consuming a folate-deficient diet developed intestinal masses, while those mice on a control diet consuming adequate amounts of folate remained free of tumors. The conclusion is that folate deficiency increased DNA damage by decreasing the expression of two genes involved in DNA repair. This study is consistent with the majority of epidemiological studies in humans, which demonstrate a clear link between colorectal cancer development and inadequate folate consumption. 4 Folic Acid : The most essential nutrient for Pregnancy Folic acid is well-known as the most essential nutrient for pregnancy. There are many studies have shown that women can reduce the risk that their baby will be born with a serious neural tube defect ( incomplete development of the brain and spinal cord) up to 70% for women who get 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) daily prior to conception and during early pregnancy. The most common neural tube defects are spina bifida, an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column anencephaly, severe underdevelopment of the brain encephalocele, when brain tissue protrudes out to the skin from an abnormal opening in the skull. Its so important for all women of childbearing age to get enough folic acid , not just those who are planning to become pregnant, because all of these defects occur during the first 28 days of pregnancy usually before a woman even knows shes pregnant. Through a survey, only 50% of pregnancies are planned, so any woman who could become pregnant should make sure shes getting enough folic acid. Folic acid has no use biochemically in the body until it is converted into these other forms of folate such as: Tetrahydrofolate (THF) 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (Folinic acid) 5-10-methylenetetrahydrofolate 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (Methylfolate 5 FOOD SOURCES OF FOLATE Folic acid is a form of folate. Since folate is water-soluble B vitamin, it is found naturally in foods. This vitamin cannot be synthesized in our body. Folate is important for everyone especially it helps make red blood cells. If you do not have enough folate, you can get a type of anaemia. If you have anaemia you may feel tired, weak and unable to concentrate. Folate also very important for infants, children and women who are pregnant. It helps to prevent some birth defects. Women who could become pregnant, are pregnant or breastfeeding need more folate. They should take a daily folic acid supplement of 400 mcg (0.4 mg).In addition to poor dietary intake of deficient intake of other B vitamins can contribute to folate deficiency. These vitamins include B1, B2, and B3 which are all involved in folate recycling. Poor protein intake can cause deficiency of folate binding protein which is needed for optimal absorption of folate from the intestine, and can also be related to an insuffic ient supply of glycine and serine, the amino acids that directly participate in metabolic recycling of folate. Excessive intake of alcohol, smoking, and heavy coffee drinking can also contribute to folate deficiency. How much folate should everyone aim? Nutrient Interactions How do other nutrients interact with folate ? Vitamins B1, B2, and B3 must be present in adequate amounts to enable folic acid to can hide a vitamin B12 deficiency, by masking blood-related symptoms. A Food Rating System is created in order to better help to identify foods that feature a high concentration of nutrients for the calories they contain, we created This system allows us to highlight the foods that are especially rich in particular nutrients. The following chart shows the Worlds Healthiest Foods that are either an excellent, very good, or good source of folate. Next to each food name, we may find the serving size we used to calculate the food’s nutrient composition Table 1.2 Use the following to determine the intake of folate 6 FOLIC ACID DEFICIENCY Shortage of folic acid can cause severe health problems in offspring, including anaemia, cardiovascular and liver diseases. A study out today revealed that the metabolism of folic acid not only impacts the immediate offspring but can also have detrimental health effects on the next several generations due to a mutation in a gene necessary. The new research, which also focus on the molecular mechanism of folic acid. The damaging effects of folic acid deficiency on development are quite renowned. This is demonstrated t by the researchers, from the Universities of Cambridge and Calgary. They used mice in this experiment as they metabolize folic acid very similarly to humans, because folic acid deficiency or mutations in the same genes required to break down folic acid in humans result in similar developmental abnormalities and diseases in mice. This enables the researchers to analyze the effects of how the molecular mechanism of folic acid deficiency impacted development that causing health problems. Other than that, inadequate in either B12 or folate can lead to macrocytic anaemia, a disease which red blood cell are larger than normal. It characterized by the production of fewer but larger red blood cells, thus a reduce ability to carry oxygen. Those affected may be weak, light-headed, and short of breath due to anemia. A deficiency in B12 can also result in varying degrees of neuropathy or nerve damage .The symptoms of lack of B12 can cause itchy and numbness in the persons hands and feet. In severe cases, mental changes that range from confusion and irritability to dementia may appear. For proper foetal development, pregnant women need sufficient amounts of folate.Increased amounts of folate required because of the added stress of rapidly growing cells (the foetus), If a woman has a folate deficiency during pregnancy, it will be quicken during gestation and may lead to premature birth and neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida, in the child. The number of neural tube defect cases decreased by 36% in the U.S. since focusing on folate supplements during pregnancy. Restless leg syndrome during pregnancy is another neurologic symptom associated with decreased folate.

From Whence I Came :: Personal Narrative Nature Environment Papers

From Whence I Came Let us look at our lush forest one last time. Is it any less beautiful if we remove the hand of a Creator God? Imagine yourself standing alone in a lush forest under a tree. It is an old tree. The massive trunk soars to dizzying heights, terminating in a canopy of branches and leaves that seem to stretch to infinity. The broad, green leaves shelter you from the glaring sun.You reach out and touch the tree. The fissures in the rough bark swallow your fingers. You are startled by the snap of a twig and turn to find a deer staring back at you with large brown eyes located on either side of his head. His majestic visage is only enhanced by the projections of the antlers he wears like a crown.Relief floods in; deer have no sharp teeth or claws. With a snort and a flash of his white tail, he bounds into the underbrush and vanishes as quickly as he appeared. A ray of sunshine has fought its way through the leaves to illuminate a glittering object at your feet.Bending down, you pick up a beautiful gold pocket watch. Its cover is laced with intricately carved scrolls. As you open the cover, some quest ions come to mind. How did this forest and its creatures come to exist? Am I separate from nature and can do with it as I please, or am I a part of it? Why do deer have hooves instead of claws? What is this watch doing in this forest? The beauty of nature often inspires feelings of awe and evokes questions such as these. However, depending on your beliefs, the answers may be radically different. Over the last few centuries, science and Christianity have become increasingly embroiled in conflict. This conflict has only intensified since 1859, when Charles Darwin published On the Origin of Species. Darwin's theory of natural selection poses an unparalleled threat to the core of Fundamentalist Christian beliefs. The debate centers on the origin of life. The theory of evolution states that species change, or evolve, gradually thorough the accumulation of random mutations over a long period of time. Natural selection is the mechanism through which this happens. These changes are not directed towards any end product. Fundamentalist Christians, or creationists, believe that the Earth and all life on it was divinely created in its present form, and that species, man in particular, do not change.