Essays and Research Papers on Biology

This 3 page report discusses the importance of saving America's trees and briefly considers some of the problems being faced in conservation efforts. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

An overview of the phenomenon of ageing from a biochemical perspective, looking at the programmed and random damage theories and the ways in which these might be approached in order to take into account both genetic and stochastic causes of ageing. Bibliography lists 5 sources

A 5 page book review that offers a summation of the major points of Steven Johnson's text Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software (2001). This is a fascinating book that offers its readers insight into the latest paradigm on how the natural world is organized. According to this radical ...

This 7 page paper examines lipids, what they are and their constituent fatty acids. The paper discusses the chemical structure of the fatty acids and the various lipids as well as where they are found and their functions. The bibliography cites 10 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the basic perspectives of Darwin on the idea of emotions and expressions, then compares his ideas to those discoveries being made by scientists today. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the use of animals, in particular, Roosters, for the benefit of mankind, especially when the use is non-food related. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

An 8 page overview of cellular function. Concentrating on cellular function in viruses, the author utilizes RNA to illustrate the view that the cell is a supramolecular machine. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 5 page paper looks at stem cells, what makes them unique, their characteristics, such as non specialisation and proliferation and the differences between stem cells from adults and stem cells from embryos or foetuses. The paper also includes consideration of the current research that is taking place and the potential uses of stem cells ...

In certain tissues much of the mass of material is made up of extracellular matrix (ECM). This 5 page paper describes some examples of such tissues and looks at the role ECM plays and its' make up in different areas. The bibliography cites 3 sources.

A 4 page paper describing the method by which ribosomes synthesize proteins in the cell’s cytoplasm. The paper identifies amylase as being one of the body’s proteins, one so specific that its presence in blood confirms diagnosis of pancreatitis, a potentially fatal disease. Includes one figure. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 4 page report discusses the origins, evolution, and purposes of cyanobacteria Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 4 page research paper that examines circadian rhythms and sleep deprivation in regards to the student tradition of "all nighters" in order to cram for tests. The writer argues that research shows this practice to be detrimental to academic performance and explains the scientific facts behind this assessment. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page paper arguing that embryonic stem cell research should be permitted on embryos created in fertility clinics not supported by federal funds. Though we should proceed cautiously and certainly not allow creation of embryos solely for research purposes, neither should we reject out of hand investigating the use of stem cells already ...

A 9 page research paper that offers a literature review that summarizes six research studies having to do with color perception. The author offers a brief synopsis of each study, relating the basic parameters of the study to the topic of research that addresses the underlying physiological mechanisms in the brain that pertain to ...

A 10 page discussion of global warming as it is influenced by natural processes determined by the earth's rotation around the sun, natural processes encapsulated by the theories of Serbian astrophysicist Milutin Milankovitch. The author of this paper asserts that the actions of those natural processes have been added to by pollution and activities ...

This 5 page paper examines the process of synaptic transmission. The paper starts with the historical view, looking at the way understanding has developed. The processed themselves are then outlined and the paper ends by considering how imbalances can result in clinical conditions. The bibliography cites 4 sources.

A 6 page discussion of color. The author examines color and our perception of it from both a scientific and a cultural standpoint. A discussion is included on how the light spectrum relates to color and how techniques such as infrared photography can be used to more carefully explore color. Details ...

This 22 page paper examines the Koran, or Qur'an and the science that is presented in the text. The paper argues that this religious text presents a large amount of scientific fact before the knowledge existed to prove the claims. Much of the fact could not be understood for many centuries until science caught up ...

A 7 page research paper that examines specific functions and characteristics of these cell. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

A 7 page research paper on nucleic acids. There are two nucleic acids -- deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA)--that provide the "blue prints" or templates for building all of the hundreds of thousands of proteins required by the bodies of living organisms. This paper provides a basic introduction into their structure and function. ...

A 3 page overview of pneumonia. Pneumonia can be caused by a variety of factors. These include both bacterial and viral organisms. The epidemiology of each of these organisms vary as does the specifics of the treatment regime. One of the most important aspects of dealing with pneumonia is prevention. ...

A 3 page review of a December 2003 interview of Dr. Barbara Methe, the collaborative investigator at the Institute for Genomic Research in Rockville, Maryland, and Dr. Derek Lovely, the head of the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) microbiology department. These researchers clarify the benefits of using bacteria, especially the Geobacter bacteria, in the cleanup ...

An 11 page review of the issues surrounding stem cell transplantation. Written from the perspective of a stem cell researcher that has been put into the position of having to fund his own research, this paper calls for a lift on the red tape and fiscal restrictions that currently limit governmental funding of ...

This 4 page paper addresses the problem of food supply and the role of genetic engineering. One article is used as a springboard for discussion. This short paper is separated into three parts, and questions are answered, as requested by a student. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

An 8 page discussion of the relationship that exists between beak morphology of four specific species of finches in the Galapagos Islands and precipitation. The author links ancient climatological trends with finch evolution and ties existing patterns in biodiversity with contemporary climatological trends. Includes a graph illustrating this association. Bibliography lists 4 sources.