Insects Of The World and how they work

Insects Of The World

Spiders are the most abundant arachnids, totaling about 30,000 species. They play an important role in the balance of nature by eating insects. Spiders have the ability to produce silk, a strong, elastic protein of many uses. They use it to make webs for trapping prey, to provide shelter, to protect the eggs, and for the tiny young to “balloon” along on wind currents on a delicate strand of web. The silk is produced as a liquid in abdominal glands, spun out of tiny spinnerets below the back end of the body, and hardens as it comes into the contact with the air.

The spiders have eight legs and eight simple eyes. Few spiders have poison dangerous to humans.

Black Widow is a dangerously poisonous spider that lives in warm parts of the world, but other widow spiders are found in colder climates. Female black widows are about half an inch long; the male is smaller. In most parts of the United States the red hourglass on the underside of its abdomen is the recognition mark of this species, but in other places marking vary from irregular strips to dots. The female black widow builds her irregular web in dark niches under objects near buildings or dumps.

Tarantula belongs to Theraphosidae family. These largest spiders are often called bird spiders in other places, and monkey spiders in South Africa. The tarantula of the Mediterranean area is not in this group, but belong to the wolf spider family. The largest, a South American species has a body 31/2 inches long and a 10-inch leg spa. Most of these spiders live on ground and a few in trees. The tarantulas are nocturnals. They hunt prey by sensing their vibrations. Though insects are their usual diet, occasionally large tarantulas captures a small snake, lizard, or nesting bird. Tarantulas, except for a few kind in Australia, are not dangerously poisonous to humans.

Sowbugs  are also called woodlice or pillbugs. They are sometimes mistaken for insects or millipedes. But they are crustaceans like lobsters, shrimp, and crayfish. Sowbugs differ from insects in having 14 instead of just six legs. Sowbugs are medium-sized, usually flattened animals with a shiny, hard covering over the back. The covering is divided into about 10 flexible plates, and some sowbugs, like armadillos, can roll up into a ball when disturbed. We find them usually under stones, boards, and other debris. They feed on decaying matter and fungi. They are usually harmless, but sometimes they damage the roots of cultivated plants.

Millipedes : None of the “thousand-leggers” – as millipedes are sometimes called – really has thousand legs. Most have fewer than 200. The newly hatched young ones may have six legs, and more are added each time they mould until they mature. There are two pairs of legs on most segments of the long, cylindrical body. Inspite of many legs, millipedes move slowly. Some species roll up when disturbed. These animals cannot bite or sting. Rarely, they become pests in localized areas by feeding on living plants. Millipedes live outdoors in damp, dark places such as leaf mould, and rotting logs, and they feed on decaying plant matter.

Centipedes, or Hundred-leggers are fast, active, nocturnal predators of insects and spiders. The house centipede is found in buildings in temperate climates and frequents damp places under sinks or tubs or around water pipes. It is harmless to humans and is probably beneficial in eating pest insects, but it startles people because of its unusually long legs. Tropical centipedes can inflict painful bites.

Springtails are tiny arthropods with a forked spring on the underside of the abdomen. It enables them to flip into the air when disturbed. They are often abundant on the surface of fresh water or sometimes on snow, when they are commonly called “snowfleas”. Others live on shores of oceans, lakes and ponds, but most are in moist humus or soil. They are common on the soil of house plants, where they are quite harmless, but they can become minor pests of agricultural crops by feeding on germinating seeds or living plants, and they sometimes infest mushroom cultures. Usually they eat moulds and decaying organic matter. Springtails are wingless.  

Read More

Constipation­­­-A Common Problem,how we prevent us from constipation

Constipation­­­-A Common Problem

What goes up must come down. Sir Isaac Newton proved that, sitting under an apple tree. What goes in must come out. We prove that, sitting on the toilet every morning. But for some, it is not so regular as we think. When it is not so, it is constipation, and constipation is no fun. Sometimes it can be painful. But the cause of your sluggish bowels is not often easy to find. It may include a lack of fibre in the diet, insufficient liquid intake, stress, medications, lack of exercise, and bad bowel habits. However, in reality, the need to defecate varies greatly from individual. For some, a bowel movement three times a day may be considered normal, for others three to four times a week may suffice.

Possible factors and ways to remedy the situation :

The first thing a constipated individual should do is to check his diet. The foremost menu items for batting constipation are dietary fibre and liquids. Both fibre and liquids are equally important to keep the stool soft and to help it pass through the colon.

A minimum of 6 to 8 glasses of liquid should be part of every adult’s diet along with fibre, Where does the fibre comes from? It comes mainly from complex carbohydrates-such as those in whole grains, fruits and vegetables.

Fibre helps with constipation:

Fill up your plate with food like cherries, grapes, crunchy bell peppers, beans, whole grains and nuts. Fibre-rich foods like these help digestion, and keep you regular. Your body needs a recommended 20-35 grams of fibre daily. It can also keep weight gain, hart disease, blood sugar fluctuations, and haemorrhoids at bay.

Drinking fluids helps your body get rid of waste and prevent constipation.

Fluids can not only be found in drinks like water and juices, but also in our foodstuff.

Good exercises : Good exercises is not only good for heart but also good for your bowels. Regular exercise tends to combat constipation by moving food through the bowels faster. Any form of regular exercise will tend to alleviate constipation. But most experts recommend walking which is particularly helpful to pregnant women.

Toilet train yourself/your child: Throughout our lives, many of us condition ourselves to go to the bathroom not when nature calls but when it is convenient. Ignoring the urge to defecate, however, can lead progressively to constipation. But it is never too late to improve your bowel habits. Sit on the toilet for 10 minutes every day. You will condition your colon to act as nature intended.

Stress factor: When we are frightened or tense, or when mother scolds, our bowels stop as well or we ignore the call temporarily. If you suspect tension is at the bottom of your constipation, take time to relax. A good belly laugh can help with constipation in two ways. It has a massaging effect on the intestines, which helps to foster digestion and it’s a great reliever of stress. Some medications also can bring on or exacerbate constipation. So go for a review with your doctor who can find an alternative. Some people tend to use laxatives which may be natural or vegetable laxatives or chemical laxatives. We must see that our bowel doesn’t get used to them. Sometimes certain foods also trigger constipation. For instance, milk can be extremely constipating to some, while it gives others diarrhea. Have a close witch on your diet, and try to avoid such food stuff.

Do not strain: Everyone wants to puff our way out of constipation. It is not wise to do so. We may risk giving ourselves haemorrhoids and anal fissures, which are not only painful, but can also aggravate our constipation by narrowing the anal opening. If you are really miserable, nothing will work faster to move your bowels than an enema or a suppository. But if you use them too often, you risk creating a lazy colon.

Though constipation by itself is not very serious, you should consult a doctor when symptoms are severe, lasts longer than a few weeks, or if you find blood in your stool. It may be a signal for a serious underlying disorder. 

Read More

Know More About Animals

• Poorwill is the only bird known to hibernate.
• The fish showing phenomenon of ‘Male pregnancy’ is Seahorse.
• Ostrich buries its head in the sand to protect itself from its enemy.
• Humming bird is capable of backward flight.
• King cobra is the largest poisonous snake in the world.
• The only known poisonous lizard is Heloderma.
• Sloth Bear from South America is the slowest moving mammal.
• Axolotl Larva exhibits “Neoteny or Paedogenesis”(the Larva starts reproduction) without changing into Adult.
• The common name of amphibian ‘Rhacophorus’ is flying frog.
• Stone fish is the most poisonous fish in the world.
• Cheetah is the fastest running mammal.
• Royal Albatross is the largest seabird.
• Duck Bill Platypus is an egg laying ‘Oviparous’ mammal.
• The most poisonous snake in the world is Peninsular Tiger Snake.
• Bat is the only mammal that can actually/truly fly.

Read More

How sand is formed in the earth

When the solid rock is exposed to the action of wind, rain, and frost, and broken up into smaller particles, if the particles are small enough

(Between one five-hundredth of an inch in diameter and one-tenth of an inch in diameter), these particles are called sand.

Sand is formed of small grains of the minerals that make up the rocks. Hence these minerals may be found in sand. The main mineral found

found in sand is quartz which is very hard and is quite abundant. Sometimes as much as 99 per cent pure quartz may also be found. Other

minerals sometimes found in sand are feldspar, calcite, mica, iron ores, and small amounts of garnet, tourmaline, and topaz.

Where sand is found: Sand is found wherever rocks have been exposed to the weather. One of the principal sand-forming regions is the beach of

a sea. There the action of the tide upon the rocks, the action of wind-blown sand rubbing against the rocks, and the dissolving of some of the minerals

in the rocks by the salt water, all combine to make sand.

Sand in desert: Most of the loose sand in deserts has been brought to this place by wind. In some cases, the desert sands may have

been formed by the decay of rocks. In still other cases, the desert was once really a sea bottom and the water retreated thousands of years ago, leaving

the sand. Sand is a very useful substance. It is used in making concrete, in making glass, sandpaper, and a filter in helping to keep water pure.

Read More

The Determining Factor Of The Sex Of A Child

A child is a harbinger of joy in the family.When we look at the human race we find it is divided into two sexes-male and female.The questions that immediately arise in our minds are: Why don't all people belong to one sex?What is it that determines the sex of a child?A woman becomes capable of bearing a child after she starts menstruation .Between the 10th and the 18th days from on the onset of menstruation,the reproductive organs of a woman produce an egg called 'Ovum.During this period if a woman mates with a man,a sperm present in the semen of the man fertilises the egg.The combination of the ovum of the female and the sperm of the male results in the formation of the embryo in the women.

This Diagram shows the structure of Chromosomes

 The ovum of the female and the sperms of the male contain sex chromosomes.The ovum have only one type of chromosomes called X chromosomes.But the sperms have two types of sex chromosomes called X and Y chromosomes respectively.X chromosomes are slightly bigger than Y chromosomes in size.If during the process of conception, X chromosomes from the sperms fertilized the ovum, a girl is born.If, however, Y chromosome fertilizes the ovum, male child is conceived.Hence the combination of Y-X chromosomes leads to the conception of a male child.

The fusion of the sperms and ovum to formation of zygote.

  Sometimes in uneducated families women are blamed for bearing only daughters.But,as it is evident,females are not responsible for this.It is purely biological process and the birth of a male or female entirely depends upon the behaviour of the sex chromosomes of the male sperms. 

Read More

How the Sleep-Walking occurs in human

A sleep-walker walks or performs other actions during sleep.Sleep-walking is otherwise known as 'Somnambulism'. Some people have a peculiar habit of getting up from bed at night, changing clothes and going out for a walk.And while doing all these things they still remain in the state of sleep.They are not conscious of what they do in that state.
 To know why this happens,we must stand what sleep is.According to the established scientific facts,there is a complex region in our brain which is known as "sleep centre".This centre controls the activities like sleeping and walking.It is regulated by calcium in our blood.During the day when we are awake and most of the parts of our body are functioning, lactic acid, calcium and other substances are produced in the body and get mixed in the blood.Ad later when calcium is carried by the blood to the sleep centre, it becomes active and brings the man to sleep.

The functions of the sleep centre
The sleep centre has two functions in the body.First, it blocks a part of the brain and so we do not feel like doing anything.We might call this "brain sleep".Secondly, it blocks certain nerves in the brain and hence the inner organs and our limbs become inactive and we fall asleep.
 But in some cases, brain goes to sleep and the body remains awake.This might happens to a person whose nervous system does not function normally.A person afflicted by such disorder would get up from bed and walk about.In this situation the brain is in a state of sleep while the body is awake.This happens because of the lack of coordination between the brain and the body. 

Read More

Who was Hugo de Vries and what his achievements

Dutch botanist and geneticist Hugo de Vries is chiefly known for suggesting the concept of genes and for developing a mutation theory of evolution.De Vries was born in 1848.In his experiments on the evening primrose, in 1900,De Vries rediscovered Mendel's laws of heredity and developed his own theory that he published in his book "The Mutation Theory".He explained mutations as sudden, unpredictable changes in an organism that can be passed on the offspring.He proposed that this is how new species develop and evolve.His discovery helped in establishing Darwin's theory universaly.
   He died in 1935.  

Read More