King Aegeus - Greek Mythology Essay Example for Free

King Aegeus Greek Mythology Essay Even though many believe mythology was written just to satisfy, it actually serves as an explanation. These tales written by Ancient Greeks were not written just to entertain, but for a purpose. Mythology is an important factor which helps discover secrets of our race. Using these myths, natural phenomena is explained, morality is taught, and man’s greatest hopes and deepest fears are revealed. Still today these stories are looked at to explain everyday events. An example of mythology unlocking keys to the human race is when natural phenomena is explained. In the story of Theseus, his father, King Aegeus, kills himself and falls into a body of water which is now known as the Aegean Sea (Hamilton 152). King Aegeus shows the love he has for Theseus by committing suicide when he believes his beloved son was killed in the Labrynith. The Greeks celebrate his life by naming the Aegean Sea after him. In addition to this incidence, the explanation of seasons is given using the tale of Demeter, â€Å"Demeter did not refuse, poor comfort though it was that she must lose Persephone for four months every year and her young loveliness go down to the world of the dead,† (Hamilton 53). When Demeter is without her daughter, whom she loves dearly, for four months, she becomes very unhappy. As a result of her depression, the earth becomes cold for this time period, thus making the season of winter. Certainly mythology is a great source of justification for the unexplainable. Not only does mythology explain natural phenomena, it also teaches morality in many of the myths. For example, in the story of Daedalus, he warns his son not to fly too high because the heat of the sun will melt the glue on his wings and he will fall, but Icarus gets caught up with having the ability to fly, disregards his father’s advice, and ends up falling into the sea (Hamilton 139-140). The moral portrayed in the story is that children need to obey their elders, for they have more life experiences and wisdom. When Icarus does not listen to his father, fate is not kind to him. Another situation that depicts a significant lesson is the one that takes place in Perseus’s story when Queen Cassiopeia boasts her daughter, Andromeda, to be more beautiful than the daughters of Nereus. This angers the gods and they send a man eating serpent to Ethiopia which can only be freed by the sacrifice of Andromeda (Hamilton 146). The message of this myth is that being prideful is dangerous and can cause people to perform harmful actions towards the boasting party. Often times, individuals are proud of what they have and flaunt their possessions for attention, when it is better to just sit quiet and let others realize it themselves. Clearly, the morals taught in mythology were relevant to life then and are still relevant in life today. The final function mythology serves is being able to explore man’s greatest hopes and deepest fears. This is displayed in Thisbe and Pyramus’s tale when their ashes are put together in the urn so that they will be together forever (Hamilton 103). In life, it is one’s dream to be with their loved one for as long as they are alive. It is very common when a couple dies that they want to be buried together in the hopes that even death will not be able to separate them. Friendship is a relationship similar to marriage that is highly valued and is demonstrated when Hercules leaves the Argonauts to go look for his best friend, Hylas (Hamilton 120). It is not like Hercules to abandon such a journey that would make him even look even more heroic, but his friendship with Hylas takes priority over the voyage for the Golden Fleece. The force present in friendship is so strong that one will do almost anything for the other. Without a doubt mythology provides many of examples of man’s greatest hopes and deepest fears. Obviously mythology can be used in many ways to explain everyday happenings. Whether it is natural phenomena, morality, or man’s hopes and fears, mythology plays an important role. The mythological stories, written by the ancient Greeks, often parallel events that happen today. Studying more in depth of these myths might lead to a better perception of life now. Work Cited Hamilton, Edith. Mythology Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. New York: Penguin Group, 1940. Print. 13-315.

Symbolism In The Great Gatsby Essay Example for Free

Symbolism In The Great Gatsby Essay Prompt: Examine Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism in the novel. Be sure to define symbolism, examine at least 3 different symbols, and tell how each symbol is significant or important to the narrative. Finally, explain how each contributes to a theme in the novel. Be sure to directly state each theme in a complete general sentence. Use textual evidence (exact quotes from the novel). â€Å"Possibly is had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever. Compared to the great distance that had separated him from Daisy it had seemed very near to her, almost touching her. It had seemed as close as a star to the moon. Now it was again a green light on a dock. His count of enchanted objects had diminished by one.†( pg. 93) The green light is one of the most predominant symbols F. Scott Fitzgerald uses in his novel The Great Gatsby. Symbolism is when a writer uses an object or idea to stand for something else; the bigger picture, or theme of the book. Three of the utmost crucial symbols in The Great Gatsby are the green light, the disintegrating letter, and the mantelpiece clock. First, The green light represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for the future. Gatsby affiliates the light with Daisy, and Fitzgerald first introduces the reader to this in Chapter One when Nick sees Gatsby reaching out towards it at the end of his dock, â€Å"-he stretched out his arms toward the dark water in a curious way, and, far as a I was from him, I could have sworn he was trembling. In voluntarily I glanced seaward-and distinguished nothing except a single green light†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (pg. 20-21) The green light is the idea that you should keep chasing your dreams no matter how far away they seem. Fitzgerald shows this through Gatsby chasing Daisy although she is married and has a child, he never gives up on his hopes to be with her. Fitzgerald additionally portrays this through Gatsby by showing that he was poor but did everything he could to become rich because that was his dream. Other characters such as Myrtle show this theme. Myrtle wants to be rich like Gatsby and Tom so she keeps pretending to be rich and tries to fit that stereotype in any way that she can because she dreams of being rich one day. In chapter five, Daisy and Gatsby are seeing each other again for the first time in years. Their reconnecting occurs at Nicks house and this is when the reader is introduced to the mantelpiece clock. When Fitzgerald writes â€Å"Luckily the clock took this moment to tilt dangerously at the pressure of his head, whereupon he turned and caught it with trembling fingers and set it back into place†¦I think we all believed that for a moment that it had smashed in pieces on the floor.†(pg. 86-87) the reader sees that Gatsby wants to get back together with Daisy or â€Å"turn back time† in a sense. Fitzgerald is telling the reader that time is unstoppable and unrestrainable through Gatsby and Daisy’s actions because even though Gatsby does everything in his power to see her again and win her over he never does because time has moved on and so has Daisy. Next, the reader sees that time has moved on long before Gatsby had even come back from the army. The reader sees Daisy’s actual moving on and marrying Tom in chapter four when Jordan tells about the night before Daisy’s wedding, â€Å"I came into her room half an hour before the bridal dinner, and found herdrunk as a monkey. She had a bottle of Sauterne in one hand and a letter in the other†¦we locked the door and got her in a cold baht. She wouldn’t let go of the letter. She took it into the tub with her and squeezed it up into a wet ball, and only let me leave it in the soap-dish when she saw it was coming to pieces like snow.†(pg.76) the reader assumes this letter in from Gatsby because Jordan earlier in this passage explained how Daisy and Gatsby were in love and how during Daisy’s drunken state she tells Jordan to give Tom back the pearls that he bought he because, â€Å"Daisy’s change’ her mine!† (Pg. 76) Yet she still marries Tom the next day. This shows her realizing that she can’t wait forever and must marry Tom, therefore leaving behind her past with Gatsby and moving on. What Gatsby has yet to see it that all good things come to and end, and this is what Fitzgerald was portraying through the disintegrating letter and the end of Daisy and Gatsby’s relationship. As many can see, F. Scott Fitzgerald is one of the finest writers because he uses personal experiences to influence his writing. His use of symbolism is astounding and it makes people want to decipher his words. In The Great Gatsby he shows the reader the meaning of life, time, and hope through a light, a letter, and a clock; but most importantly through his main character Gatsby, who is connected to all of the symbols in this novel. Fitzgerald also does a first-class job of connecting the overall theme of the novel, which is the decline of the American dream in the 1920’s; how little by little it started to disappear until nobody believed in it any more; to Gatsby and how his count of enchanted objects keep diminishing one by one until there is nothing left but lost and broken dreams.

Functional Structure Of Skeletal Muscle

Functional Structure Of Skeletal Muscle Muscle makes up the largest group of tissues within the body, roughly half the bodys weight (Sherwood). Skeletal muscle is attached to the bones of the skeleton and through its highly developed ability contract, produces movement at joints. A controlled contraction of the muscle enables purposeful movements of the body and manipulation of objects (Sherwood). First it is important to understand the structure of the muscle and how it functions. We will then discuss the factors that control normal growth and repair in the muscle, and lastly explore how muscle atrophy results from not using a muscle. Basic structure A skeletal muscle is made up of muscle and connective tissues, which both play a role in the contracting and function of the muscle. A single cell of a skeletal muscle is called a muscle fiber, the muscle is made up of groups /bundles of these muscle fibers bound together by fibrous connective tissue, and each bundle is called a fasciculus (muscles nerves movement). Another layer of connective tissue binds the fascicule together and the whole muscle is surrounded by an outer layer of connective tissue. (M Muscle fibers Muscle fibers are long and cylindrical in shape, usually extending the whole length of a muscle. They contain multiple nuclei, which come from the fusion of smaller cells during development and formation (ezeilo and Sherwood). These nuclei lie beneath a cell membrane called the sacrolemma (ezeilo). The cytoplasm, which is known as sarcoplasm, is filled with numerous bundles of contractile proteins called myofibrils. The myofibrils contain many mitochondria, energy generating cells (ezeilo and Sherwood). Each myofibril consists of two types of myofilaments namely, the thick filaments (containing the protein myosin) and the thin filaments (containing predominantly the protein actin, but also tropinin and tropomyosin). Summary of the levels of organization in a skeletal muscle (Sherwood) Whole muscle muscle fiber myofibril thick and thin filaments myosin and actin A and I bands When viewed under a light microscope, a myofibril shows dark (the A bands) and light (the I bands) bands alternating along its length. All the bands lie parallel to each other and together lead to the muscle fibers striated appearance (ezeilo Sherwood). The thick and thin filaments are stacked in an alternating pattern which slightly overlaps each other, and this arrangement is responsible for the A and I bands (Sherwood). An A band is made up of thick filaments and the sections of thin filament that overlap on both ends of the thick filaments. The thick filaments cover the width of the A band and are only found there. There is a lighter section in the centre of the A band, where there are no thin filaments, which is called the H zone. The middle portions of the thick filaments are found in this area and a network of supporting proteins holds the thick filaments together vertically. The supporting proteins are form the M line which is found in the centre of the A band within the middle of the H zone (Sherwood). An I band consists of the section of thin filament that does not enter the A band, this means that an I band contains only thin filaments, but not the whole length of the filament (Sherwood). The Z line is the dense vertical section thats located in the centre of each I band. The portion in between two Z lines is called the sarcomere. A sarcomere is the functional unit of the muscle. A functional unit of any organ is the smallest component that can perform all the functions of that organ (Sherwood). Thus the sarcomere is the muscle fibers smallest component that can perform a contraction. The Z line forms the connection between the thin filaments of two adjacent sarcomeres. A sarcomere is made up of the entire A band and the end portion of the I band on both ends. Diagram A myofibril divided into two sarcomeres (sport-fitness-advisor.com) Cross bridges The cross bridges are the section where the thick and thin filaments overlap. The thick filaments are surrounded by the thin filaments in a hexagonal pattern. In all six direction, the cross bridges extend from the thick filaments to the surrounding thin filaments. In addition, each thin filament then has 3 thick filaments around it. The cross bridges are significant in that the binding of the actin of the thin filaments and myosin of the thick filaments happens at the cross bridges, which produces a contraction of the muscle fiber (Sherwood). Muscle contraction and cross bridges Actin and myosin are sometimes referred to as contractile proteins but neither of them actually contract during a muscle contraction. In a relaxed fiber, muscle contraction cannot take place because of the position of the proteins, tropomyosin and tropinin of the thin filament (Sherwood). Tropomysosin and tropinin are called regulatory proteins because they both play a role in stopping contraction from occurring or allowing contraction to take place by exposing the actin binding sites (Sherwood). Tropomyosin covers the sctin binding sites on the cross bridges thus blocking the interaction between myosin and actin which results in muscle contraction. Tropin is made up of 3 polypeptide units which bind to tropomyosin, actin and calcium. When troponin is not bound calcium, it stabilizes tropomyosin in the blocking of the actin sites on the cross bridges. When it is bound with calcium, the shape of the protein changes allowing tropomyosin to slide away, exposing the binding sites, and myosin and actin can bind at the cross bridges, resulting in a muscle contraction (Sherwood). Below is a diagram illustrating the position of the cross bridges, in a relaxed muscle and a contracted muscle. +, power stroke, action potential- calcium link between excitation and contraction Diagram 2: The sliding action of the cross bridges of a relaxed and contracted muscle respectively (www. teachpe.com) Adaptation of muscles to functional use One of the factors that determines the performance of a muscle is the type of muscle fibers within the muscle (N Slow fibers are known as type I fibers. These fibers are specialized in order to sustain a contraction over a longer period of time (MNM). Within these fibers there is an extensive capillary network, which allows it to be oxygen rich. The slow fibers contain myoglobin which carries oxygen, and the fiber is thus red in colour. Energy for contraction is obtained mainly from oxidative reactions. These fibers make use of a slow twitch in response to stimulation and are thus resistant to fatigue. The slow fibers contain numerous mitochrondria which, because of the rich oxygen and blood supplies, can contribute more ATP during contraction. (MARTINI chp10). Fast fibers are known as type II fibers. These fibers contain no myoglobin and are white in colour (MNM). These fibers are larger in diameter than the slow fibers and contain densely packed myofibrils, significant glycogen supplies and fewer mitochondria than slow fibers. The fast fibers use glycogen to obtain energy for contraction. They make use of a fast twitch and produce a powerful contraction; however they fatigue rapidly (MARTINI chp10). The fast fibers use large amounts of ATP during contraction and thus extended activity is supplemented by anaerobic metabolism. Skeletal muscle is able to adapt its structure depending on the functional demands required over time (MNM). The quantity of sarcomeres within the myofibrils and the proportions of fast and slow fibers can adapt and change over a period of time. Depending on what is required of a muscle over a period of time, the fibers can adapt. In training for endurance, some of the fast fibers will adapt and become similar slow fibers and function more like them. During strength/resistance training, muscle bulk and strength is increased through increase in number and size of the myofibrils mainly within the fast fibers. In addition, when a muscle is held in a shortened length over a period of time the number of sarcomeres reduces, whereas if its held in a lengthened position the number increases. This is an adaptation to the length of a muscle that helps from a functional perspective (MNM). Muscle growth and repair Muscle performance is influenced by turnover of contractile proteins. Production of new myofibrils and degradation of existing proteins is a delicate balance, which depending on the condition, can promote muscle growth or loss (signaling atrophy and hypertrophy). The processes of protein synthesis and degradation are controlled by pathways that are affected by factors such as physical activity, mechanical loading, supply of nutrients and growth factors (signaling atrophy and hypertrophy. Muscle growth Protein turnover and cell turnover are the two processes that play a large role in the growth of skeletal muscle mass. In an embryo, cell turnover is the process which plays the predominant role in muscle growth and development. During postnatal growth, the satellite cells (stem cells) are included into the growing fibers and at the same time protein synthesis increases (atrophy hypertrophy sherwood). These satellite cells are significant in keeping the quantity of cytoplasm as well as the quantity of nuclei in the cytoplasm stable. In adults, there is significantly less cellular turnover. An increase in muscle growth is done principally through amplified protein synthesis as well as a reduction in protein breakdown (atrophy hypertrophy). GH IGF1 -AKT ++ size fibers contractile proteins into myofibrils ++diameter microtears Muscle repair When a skeletal muscle is injured, it is necessary for specific cellular pathways to be activated in order to repair the injured tissue. Serrano and Munoz-Canoves stated that activation and restriction of these pathways must be temporarily coordinated in a precise sequence as regeneration progresses if muscle integrity and homeostasis are to be restored (Regulation and dysregulation). After a skeletal muscle has been injured, a series of events happens concurrently to repair the muscle, these are initiated by the release of growth factors and cytokines from the damaged blood vessels and the penetrating inflammatory cells (Regulation and dysregulation). The initial phase of muscle regeneration is distinguished by necrosis of the injured tissue and the activation of the inflammatory response (cellular and molecular regeneration). The inflammatory cells that are released phagocytose the cell debris that is present following an injury. The encouragement of the survival of various cell types, as well as the migration and proliferation of cells, is the role of the cytokines. Following this, there is a phase of regeneration, where there is the activation of myogenic cells which multiply, differentiate and finally fuse together resulting in the formation of new myofibers, as well as the reconstruction of the functional contractile components (cellular and molecular regeneration).. The satellite cells (stem cells) play a key role in this procedure. The satellite cells make use of the necrotic basement membrane as building blocks to guide the new fibers in forming the same pattern and ensuring that they lie in similar positions. The myoblasts fuse to each other as well as the damaged myofiber and thus form the new myofiber. At the same time as this, matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) are at work. MMPs play a regulatory role with concerns to the extra cellular matrix formation, break down and remodeling (Role of MMP). The MMPs break down the necrotic base membrane components, which allows the satellite cells to migrate and differentiate in the area. In addition, angiogenesis is required to form a new vascular network within the injured muscle (regulation and dysregulation). The final stage of the muscle repair is when growth and maturation of the new muscle fiber takes place. If any of these stages persist for longer than is necessary, the result may be unsuccessful muscle repair. Unsuccessful muscle repair is characterized by continued myofiber break down, inflammation and fibrosis, ultimately, extreme build up of the extra cellular matrix components (regulation and dysregulation). Elaborate? Muscle atrophy Atrophy was defined by Macro Sandri as a decrease in cell size mainly caused by loss of organelles, cytoplasm and proteins. (signaling in atrophy and dystrophy). If a muscle is immobilsed and not used for a period of time, the amount of actin and myosin within the skeletal muscle decreases, the muscle fibers decrease in size and the muscles mass reduces, along with the muscles strength (Sherwood).

Enders Game :: Literature Books Science Fiction Essays

EndersGamePaper Paradigms are very powerful because they create the lens through which we see the world. Our paradigms, whether correct or incorrect, shape our lives in a profound way. They are the source of our behavior and attitudes and ultimately shape all of our relationships. The power of a paradigm shift, whether it be instantaneous or developmental, allows us to change from one way of seeing the world to another. In the novel Enders Game by Orson Scott Card, the main character Ender Wiggin demonstrates his unique ability to paradigm shift during his training at battle school, and later as a commander in making tactical decisions. In order for a paradigm shift to occur we must take a break from tradition and old ways of thinking. We must not be constrained by what is currently accepted and understood. A great example of a paradigm shift is the story of the Egyptian astronomer Ptolemy who believed the earth was the center of the universe. When Copernicus challenged this paradigm he was met with great resistance and persecution. The idea of the sun, not the earth, being the center of the universe was not something ancient astronomers wanted to accept for many years. The implications of this paradigm shift were far reaching, it changed everything we understood and thought we knew about our universe. Even as a young child of six years old Andrew Ender Wiggin must use his judgment to constantly overcome physical and emotional challenges. During an aggressive confrontation at school, Ender is taunted and tormented by a school bully named Stilson and his gang of followers. Even though Ender is unprepared and outnumbered, he is able to quickly evaluate the situation and conclude that the interaction cannot have a happy ending. Instead of simply deciding on a strategy to win this fight, he looks at the situation in a whole new light. He chooses not to be the victim anymore. Ender engages Stilson in a fight and to his surprise is able to knock him to the ground. As Stilson lies helpless on the ground, Ender proceeds to kick him in the ribs and groin until he can no longer even move or make a sound. Why does Ender continue to beat on someone who is no longer a threat? He knows that he must not only win this fight, but he must win all the next ones too.

Transgenderism and Feminism Essay -- essays research papers

Judith Halberstam’s lecture focused on the issues regarding transgenderism/transsexualism, feminism/trans feminism (FTM), and the relationships between them. The lecture mainly addressed the necessity of trans feminism and reasons for its absence in the present queer and feminist communities. Trans feminism is necessary for all trans individuals. Leaving femininity behind creates a problem for FTMs. Growing up; they were subject to the same challenges that other young women faced. In fact, they most likely still do face obstacles on top of the challenges that come with not fitting in a â€Å"socially proper† category of gender. As Sandy Stone put in her essay, MTFs need feminism for the transition, to recognize the privileges that come with being born male and living as a man, that they don’t have now but had at some point in their lives. If they get rid of feminism, then their transition can be attributed to an inherent misogyny. Feminists also need to recognize that transgenderism/transsexualism and feminism are not necessarily odds. Feminism needs the inclusion and the support of all genders. Feminists need to have conversations with trans individuals in order to expand their movement. The necessary first step to take is to be inclusive, allow both transmen and transwomen be a part of all women’s events. Michigan Women’s Music Festival is the most mentioned event that this problem arises. The â€Å"womyn born womyn† requirement to attend the festival is bluntly another way of sa...

Marketing :: essays research papers

Unit 5 _____________________________________________________________________________________ Learning Objectives Unit 5 is divided into two lessons: Lesson 5A: Personal and Online Selling Lesson 5B: The Marketing Plan Unit 5 wraps up the promotional techniques with personal and online selling, then calls on you to pull it all together for your project with a final Marketing Plan in place of a final exam. This will complete the â€Å"learning by doing† part of the course and give you a taste of what marketers do that affects our lives. Overview of Written Assignment Lesson 5A is really a carryover of two more promotional elements from Lesson 4B: personal selling and online selling, which could be considered as part of direct marketing, but which gets its own consideration in Chapter 21 of the text. Personal selling and sales management could be a course of their own, and we will keep that brief without a written assignment. Online selling, however, is a hot topic, even after the burst of the Internet stock bubble, with much written about it. We will try to summarize strategic choices and good practices for you, and we will give you a chance to design a Website for your product, service, or organization (on paper – you will not have to learn computer programming here). If your organization already has a Website, we will ask you to critique it using the guidelines we give you for a good design. Lesson 5B wraps it all up and asks you to pull together the components of the Marketing Plan you have been building, lesson by lesson, and send it in. That will be, in effect, your final exam, and hopefully something you can use in the future. Instructor’s Notes Lesson 5A: Personal and Online Selling â€Å"Cows don’t give milk. You have to take it from them, twice a day.† – Anonymous In 1939, when Ben Feldman entered the life insurance business, selling $1 million worth of insurance in a year got you into the industry’s Hall of Fame. In 1956, operating out of East Liverpool, Ohio, Feldman was selling $1 million a month, in 1966, $1 million a week, and in 1969, $2 million a week. In February 1992, New York Life had a special sales contest to celebrate Feldman’s fiftieth year with the company. Feldman won, selling more than $15 million worth of insurance that month. At the time, he was recuperating in Florida from a brain hemorrhage (Corman). 1 How did Ben Feldman do it? He tried phrases out on his wife, Fritzie. â€Å"Honey, listen to this. Is it ‘No one ever died with enough money’ or ‘No one ever died with too much

A Thousand Splendid Suns: Relationships

Amidst the escalating conflicts of the Middle East, there are many relationships that Khaled Hosseini illustrates throughout the book. One of the main relationships that greatly affects Mariam’s life is her double sided relationship with her father, Jalil. At a young age, Mariam is recognized as an illegitimate child of Nana and Jalil. â€Å"Nor was she old enough to appreciate the injustice, to see that it is the creators of the harami who are culpable, not the harami, whose only sin is being born. †(pg. ) This emphasizes how from the very beginning, Mariam was not truly wanted by either her mother or father. Jalil loved Mariam yet only to a certain extent; he did not legitimately consider her as his daughter due to modern society’s outlook on the situation. Throughout Mariam’s childhood, she is filled with anticipation for acceptance. While Nana openly displays her strong hatred for Jalil, Mariam feels that he is the only person that loved her and accepted her. One day, she asks Jalil to bring her to his cinema to watch the film Pinocchio with her other brothers and sisters, he reluctantly accepts. The following day, Mariam waits for Jalil to take her into town. When his lack of presence appears clear to Mariam, she realizes that Jalil has no intention of developing a relationship outside of the Kolba. She begins to question their entire relationship and if all he has said to her has been lies. Hosseini vilifies Jalil’s character as Mariam ultimately discovers the truth of the situation and the idealized world that she once lived in is gone. This tragic novel is a great depiction of expectations and rejections.