Astrobiology Fundamentals: Dating, Habitability, and Life’s Origins
Radiometric Dating: Concepts and Equations
- Not all nuclides are stable; some split apart through radioactive decay. A nuclide is a species of an atom with a specific combination of protons and neutrons.
- Radiometric Dating of Meteorites: The Solar System is estimated to be 4.53-4.58 billion years old. Carbonaceous chondrites provide a sample of early Solar System ‘dust’.
- Decay Constant and Parent Atoms: The rate of decay is given by the equation: (dN/dt) = -λ * N.
- λ (lambda) = decay constant (fraction
Plant Hormone Biology: Auxin, Cytokinin, and Cellular Regulation
Important Terminology
- AUX1: Auxin influx carrier
- PIN1: Facilitates vertical auxin transport from shoot to root.
- PIN3: Involved in lateral auxin transport, particularly inward at the shoot.
- PINOID: A kinase that regulates polarized trafficking of PIN proteins.
- ABCB1: Mediates auxin movement in the shoot apical meristem and root tip.
- ABCB19: Mediates auxin movement to the root tip.
- ABCB4: Regulates auxin levels in root hairs.
- NPA, TIBA, and 1-NOA: Specific inhibitors of auxin efflux.
- SCFTIR1: A ubiquitin E3
Human Nervous System: Structure, Function, and Components
The Nervous System: Structure and Function
Stimulus
Something that causes a response.The Nervous System
The nervous system is a complex, connected network of cells, tissues, and organs. Formed by neurons, it receives and processes information, coordinating responses throughout the body.
Divisions of the Nervous System
Central Nervous System (CNS)
Includes the brain and spinal cord. It interprets messages from other nerves and initiates responses.
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)
A network of nerves that
Human Body Systems: Nervous, Locomotor, and Endocrine Functions
The Nervous System: Cells and Structures
The nervous system comprises two primary cell types:
Neurons: Structure and Function
Neurons are responsible for conducting nerve impulses. They consist of the following components:
- Neuronal Cell Body (Soma): Contains the nucleus, neurofilaments, groups of rough endoplasmic reticulum (Nissl bodies), and mitochondria.
- Dendrites: Tree-like ramifications extending from the cell body. They receive nerve impulses and send them to the cell body.
- Axon: An extension of
Unraveling Genetics: From Mendel’s Discoveries to Human Inheritance
Understanding Genetics and Heredity
Biological processes like sporulation, bipartition, budding, and cellular division are fundamental to life. These processes, involving structures such as egg cells (oospheres) and sperm (spermatozoa or antherozoids), can lead to the formation of unisexual or hermaphroditic organisms. The study of how traits are passed down through these processes is the essence of genetics.
Mendel’s Groundbreaking Experiments
Mendel’s Experimental Approach
- He chose pea plants with
Fundamentals of Virology
Introduction to Virology
Comparing Viruses and Cellular Life
Viruses are infectious, obligate intracellular parasites, while cellular life can reproduce independently.
Viruses possess either a DNA or RNA genome, while cellular life possesses a DNA genome.
Viruses require a host cell for ribosomes, energy sources, genome replication, assembly, and preformed components.
Ubiquity of Viruses
Viruses are everywhere and infect all life forms.
There are more viruses in a liter of seawater than humans on the planet.