See attached
ESSAY
Look at the topics each week and do an internet search or UMUC database search to find websites that fit the definition. It is an effort to see what resources students can find on their own. If you find something that is useful, or has great maps, or images, include it in you hunt.
Scavenger Hunts (2) (10 percent)
The purpose of the Scavenger Hunt exercise is to gain broader knowledge of the weekly subject matter beyond the text readings and publisher website. The student should use Google or some other search engine (including UMUC library database searches) to find five relevant websites covering the subject matter of the previous four weeks of class. These websites should contain news about world history, or be university, museum, archeological, or other relevant subject-oriented sites. The student will provide the url of the website in the University of Chicago reference style, noting update and access dates. Each website should include a summary of the contents of that site. The student should write 50 words per summary. The student’s summaries should be logically organized. The summaries should be written in a formal style and be free of grammatical/syntax issues. The summaries should clearly explain why the site should be examined or accessed. The overview of each site should be substantive substantive in the description of the contents. The student should also explain why the sites will add depth or additional insight to the knowledge of the subject matter. These sites should not be from the publisher’s website. See schedule for due dates.
THIS HW
B and Z, chapters 7-9 (make certain to read the highlighted sections in each chapter)
One primary source reading for chapters 7-9 from the publisher’s website (www.mhhe.com/psi and click Traditions & Encounters 5e)
http://rapidshare.com/files/1871746818/131-186 ” http://rapidshare.com/files/1871746818/131-186
This is for the HW due this Sunday. And link provided for the pages of required reading.
FEEDBACK NEEDED FOR HISTORY AND BIO
1) What role does Chinese civilization play regarding nomadic and pastoral societies in Central Asia (and vice versa)? Explain. What is the relationship between them and why is it often volatile? How and when does Chinese civilization expand into the Yangzi River and south China? What influence does China have on East and Southeast Asia? Explain, providing examples.
During the expansion of an agricultural society throughout the Yellow River valley, as smaller factions of people moved further away from the fertile land of the valley and into the more arid land of the mountains they resorted to a more sustainable way of life, in herding. These nomads herded animals like, cows, yaks sheep and goats, in the grassy areas of the steppes. They served as the middle man on a trade network connecting China and the rest of the early societies, while mostly unfriendly these two needed resources from each other. While the agricultural land owners spread out, usually conflicting with nomadic feeding grounds for their herds, they also did not abide by any set Chinese authority. The constant threat of invasion almost lead to the end of the Zhou dynasty.
The expansion southward in China lead to ample rice production along the Yangzi River. Where there was more predictability with the flow of water, the people created a elaborate irrigation system during the growth periods under the dynasties of the time, Shang and Zhou, As with most agricultural societies, cities were formed around these areas, and Chinese influenced produced large states. The State of Chu became more pronounced, they began to govern themselves autonomously from the Zhou dynasty and challenged its authority, creating a centerpiece of an emerging society in China.
Influence through their style of governance lead most surrounding areas to follow similar establishments, with royal and noble families accumulating wealth and increasing their kingdoms. Writings of that time was also shared by surrounding communities, Through trade routes from the nomadic herders brought new technology and resources into the region. Different grains were brought in to harvest outside of rice, and metallurgy was used to increase military strength and efficiency in agricultural. The use of boat to navigate the shores opened ability to navigate to islands in nearby regions.
2) The Olmec, Mayan, Chavin cult, Teotihuacan civilizations are some of the early societies of Mesoamerica. Starting around 13,000 B.C.E was the first known and largest migration of humans from Siberia to Alaska took place. Afterwards, migrants arrived in large numbers and quickly populated habitable region. By 8000 to 7000 B.C.E., the people of Mesoamerica began to grow crops and agriculture quickly spread throughout this region. Agricultural villages and ceremonial centers arose in several regions of Mesoamerica. The earliest known group was the Olmec society [109]. During the thousand years following the Olmecs’ disappearance about 100 B.C.E, complex societies arose and human population flourished drastically. One of the earliest heirs of the Olmecs were the Maya who were located in what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and El Salvador [111]. While the Maya flourished in the Mesoamerica lowlands, a different society arose in the north in the highlands of Mexico known as the Teotihuacan. They were a large agricultural village by 500 B.C.E and expanded rapidly around 200 B.C.E. [115]. Shortly after the year 1000, B.C.E., a new religion appeared suddenly in the central Andes known as the Chavin cult. It grew enormous popularity during the period 900 to 800 B.C.E, but vanished around 300 B.C.E. It spread through most of the territory occupied by modern day Peru.
Agriculture was an important aspect for these civilizations. The regions in which these civilizations settled contained some means for agricultural productivity. For example, the highlands of Guatemala offered fertile soil and excellent conditions for agriculture for the Mayans [111]. The Teotihuacan took advantage of the water from large lakes nestled in surrounding mountain as irrigation for their fields to establish a productive agricultural society [115]. For the Chavin Cult, geography actually discouraged the establishment of communication between the Andean region and Mesoamerica. This led to a slow diffusion of agricultural products and technologies from one area to another [116].
When discussing social organization and religion of these civilizations, they were all unique in their own aspects. For example, the Olmec society was likely authoritarian in nature. Construction of their ceremonial centers that consisted of elaborate temples, pyramids, altars, stone sculptures, and tombs for rulers were assembles by thousands of laborers [110]. The Maya organized themselves into scores of small city-kingdoms. Their society’s consisted of a large class of priests. Hereditary nobility owned most land and cooperated with kings and priests by organizing military forces and participating in religious rituals. The Popal Vuh is a Maya creation myth that taught that the gods created humans out of maize and water. The Maya were polytheistic and believed that each god served a purpose and kept the world going. Sacrifices and honors were performed by the Maya, as they believed this was required for the gods to maintain the agricultural cycle and keep the world in order [114]. The Chavin cult built large temple complexes and elaborate works of art that demonstrated its importance to those who honored it. They carved images of their deities with features of human and wild animals [118].
Trade and war played a big impact on these societies. For example, the Olmecs spread their influence by both military force and by trade. Trade was a prominent link to other regions in Mesoamerica for the Olmecs. They imported jade and obsidian and in exchange for these imports, they traded small works created from jade, basalt, ceramics, and other local products [110]. Other societies such as the Maya and Teotihuacan also traded local products in exchange for items that had to be imported. Trading with various regions affected all societies by giving them access to resources not available in their own region, therefore allowing them to produce tools and weapons that benefited them in agriculture and war. War also had a major impact on these societies. By gaining resources from various regions and the ability to produce weapons from these resources, war became apparent. For example, Maya kingdoms fought constantly with each other. They would capture each other and use the captives as slaves or sacrificial victims to Maya gods, all while stripping them of everything they owned. Many of these societies of Mesoamerica declined because of civil warfare and invasion of foreigners. This warfare led to a declined regulated system and eventually ecological problems, diminished harvests, and disease [112]. By 1000 A.D, the Olmec, Mayan, Chavin cult, Teotihuacan civilizations became virtually extinct.
BIO FEEDBACK
1)DNA molecules are organized in a structure and they are called a chromosome. Chromosomes basically hold the “blueprint” for the genetic information of eukaryotic species. The number of chromosomes for each species is unique to that species. Humans double up on chromosomes so their chromosome number is diploid.
DNA is composed of four kinds of nucleotides. The DNA nucleotides are adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. The differences in how the DNA nucleotides are sequenced accounts for the variety we see in life.
The discovery of DNA and the solving of its structure is a concerted effort by many scientists over the years. While the scientist Watson and Crick certainly put forth a great effort and solved many mysteries in regards to DNA, they should not have “borrowed’ the discovery made by Rosalind Franklin and took credit for it.
I am certain that cloning will eventually become common place in our society. But for now it just seems like a frightening option, when so many things can go wrong.
2) If you look at a strand of RNA and DNA they look relatively the same. Three of the bases A, C, and G are the same but for RNA instead of T the fourth base is Uracil. RNA’s have different roles for protein synthesis, while DNA’s role is just to hold onto the cells heritable information. The three types of roles in in RNA are rRNA (polypeptide chains are built), tRNA (delivers amino acids to ribosomes), and mRNA (specifies the order in which amino acids are delivered to ribosomes). Converting DNA information to RNA is called Transcription and from mRNA to a protein is called Translation.
Transcription occurs when RNA polymerase binds to a promoter. A promoter is a binding site in DNA for the RNA polymerase. This happens near the gene region and occurs on just one of the DNA strands. After that the polymerase moves along the DNA and the DNA starts to unravel. When this happens the RNA nucleotides link the RNA by the DNAs base sequence. This transcription happens in the nucleus and later goes on to the cytoplasm.
Making proteins requires the use of mRNA, tRNA and rRNA. All three help translate information to a protein. MRNA’s job is the carry this information to the other RNA’s. The information is protein building information that has four bases A, C, G and U. mRNA’s code is 3 bases long with four bases in the 3 sections that total 64 codons. A stop codon is the end of an mRNA sequence. Ribosomes and tRNA’s react with each other so they can translate mRNA to a polypeptide.
After transcription, translation is the next part of which occurs in the cytoplasm. Translation has 3 stages: Initiation (mRNA leaves the nucleus), Elongation (ribosomes gather to polypeptide chain), and Termination (reaches stop codon). When all of these steps have been complete then the newly formed polypeptide can join proteins in cytoplasm or go to the Rough ER.
Mutations occur when something happens to the nucleotide sequence. Mutations can be cause by x-rays, smoking, being out in the sun too long, deletion and insertion.
3) Hello,
Cells are specialized at doing certain processes in our body. When cells go though the process at becoming “specialized” it is referred to as differentiation.
The genes that have power over the formation of precise body parts are referred to as Homeotic Genes. The homeotic genes have the ability to induce other genes to produce complicated tasks. Homeotic genes is a kind of master gene. Scientist have learned about master genes by the manipulating the genes and deleting segments of the gene and then studying the effects of their manipulation. This process/experiment is called knockout.
The sex in mammals is dependent upon the inactivation of one of the X chromosomes (female cells have two) and in males the sex is dependent on the SRY gene to.
Bacteria and archaeans do not develop into multi-celled organisms and therefore master genes are not a part of their makeup. They have learned to use gene controls and are able to adjust to what nutrients are available to them.
Thank you,
