The phylum Cnidaria has about 13,000 different species. The cnidarians come into two basic forms - polyp and medusae. The polyps are sessile tubular-bodied organisms which remain attached to the solid anchor like rocks. The main characteristic of them is the single, circular and terminal mouth that faces upwards to the water. They are primitive organisms that lack sense organs, velum and manubrium. The tentacles of polyps are located around the mouth region, forming a ring of tentacles in the … [Read more...]

SNP (Single nucleotide polymorphism) and mutation are both related to the structural changes in the genome. While researching, people often use these two terms interchangeably. However, scientifically, one must be very careful while using them. All the individuals except for the twins have their own version of genome sequences. These variations are mainly due to the SNPs. The chances of occurrence of SNP are approximated as one per thousand base pairs. SNP indicates the condition where one … [Read more...]

To understand the importance of dopamine and endorphins, you must first know what are they! Our body is driven by certain chemicals that balance and manipulate the emotions we feel. Happiness, sorrow, pleasure, affection, etc. are the feelings that arise from these chemical messengers. Dopamine and endorphins are two of those same chemicals responsible for happiness and relief. Talking about dopamine, it is basically a neurotransmitter that also serves the role of a hormone. We often refer … [Read more...]

The digestion process varies according to the level of complexity of the organisms. Living organisms exhibit two different methods of digesting food- intracellular and extracellular digestion. Single-celled organisms that lack proper channels to extract the nutrients from the taken food perform intracellular digestion. Here, the process of digestion occurs inside the cell, thus we refer to it as intracellular. It is the most primitive and simple digestion method as it doesn’t involve numerous … [Read more...]

We divide psychiatry into Neurosis and Psychosis for a convenient outlook and thorough studies. The professionals assert that these two terms vary greatly concerning their symptoms, pathology, treatment and prognosis. We can understand that a neurosis is actually a group of light mental disorders. And they occur due to functional impairment rather than an organic cause. On the other side, psychosis is a personality disorder resulting from some underlying diseases. You can consider neurosis … [Read more...]

Both centipede and millipede belong to the phyla Arthropoda and sub-phyla myriapods. The myriapod is a Greek terminology that means ‘Numerous feet’. And since the centipede is a hundred-legged worm while the millipede is a thousand-legged worm, therefore they fall under this category. The centipedes are flat flexible worms with approx. 100 legs. Their body has 15-100 segments. Each segment bears a single pair of legs. While the millipede is a sub-cylindrical worm having around 1000 legs. … [Read more...]

Our body comes in contact with millions of disease-causing pathogens throughout the day. But still, we are not ill or infected all the time. The credit for this goes to our immune mechanism i.e., our immunity. We have two sorts of immunity-Innate and Acquired. Both of them are very essential for the healthy survival and well-being of an individual. But they widely differ in their appearance and working mechanism. The most significant difference between them is their time of … [Read more...]

Cytokinesis and karyokinesis are significant steps in the cell cycle. The term 'Cyto' refers to the cytoplasm, and 'kinesis' refers to the movement. Cytokinesis is the process involving the division of the cytoplasm of a cell. On the other side, the word 'Karyon' means nucleus, and 'kinesis' is movement. Thus, karyokinesis depicts the nuclear division or the segregation of nuclear material. Cytokinesis is comparatively a simpler and single-step process. In comparison, karyokinesis involves a … [Read more...]

The sympathetic & parasympathetic nervous systems are two components of the autonomic nervous system. These are responsible for controlling and manipulating our involuntary actions. We can differentiate SNS and PNS depending on their responsibilities and action potential. The SNS mobilises the body in stressful situations such as danger, sports, and fights. Thus, it triggers a “fight or flight” response. The PNS helps to produce and preserve the body’s normal homeostasis. Thus, it … [Read more...]

The population of any region is characterised with respect to its growth rate. Exponential and Logistic growth models are two typical but important growth models that can be used to track the population's growth rate. Exponential growth is characterised by the rapid expansion of the population that is unaffected by any upper limit. Contrarily, logistic growth refers to a sustainable growth rate that has an upper limit of growth. The exponential growth model depicts an indefinite growth … [Read more...]