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Would you saw your own leg off to escape from a trap that would mean infinite captivity otherwise? That depends - is my leg caught in the trap? I don't want to be sawing off any appendages that aren't entrapped. Plus, what's the guarantee that I'll find an escape route after lopping off a limb? I think self-amputation would probably just hasten death rather than permit escape, regardless of the circumstances of my capture. And why do I have my leg caught in a...

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What does the abbreviated book title "Consid. Gen. Anim. Crust. Arach. Ins." mean? I found the answer not long after I posted the question. In case anyone else wonders what the title is, it's "Considerations generales sur l'Ordre Naturel des Animaux Composant les Classes des Crustacea, des Arachnides, et des Insectes" What a mouthful!

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Why do Amish dolls have blank (totally bare) faces? "As most people know, Amish children often played with faceless dolls. While there are explanations for the lack of a face having to do with the doll’s becoming a 'likeness,' others say it was simply a custom. Today it is common for the Amish to buy or make dolls with faces, and there are examples of Amish dolls with faces sewn or drawn on dating back to 1900. Elmer Smith in...

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What are the contraindications for taking Viagra? Rather than just cutting and pasting information off another website, I thought I would take a few minutes and write things out in my own words. The contraindications for taking Viagra are 1) hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients of the tablet; and 2) the regular or intermittent use of nitrate-containing medications. The combination of Viagra and nitrates can lead to a dangerous...

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Are diamonds the most expensive stone? Seems nobody likes my answer, even though it's right. Oh well... Please delete this!

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I found a white round pill with the number 25 on one side and the word "TOP" on the other. What is it? Your mystery pill is a 25 milligram tablet of Topamax, a migraine medication. Image of the pill: http://www.wallsrx.com/services/cpident.cfm?CPNum=821&folder=003&photo=topa001t More information: http://www.topamax.com/

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Once, twice, thrice...what comes next? Nothing comes next, as there are no more terms in this sequence. You'll just have to use "four times," "five times," and so on for anything more than thrice! And no, "quince" is not "five times" -- it's a fruit. ;-) [http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutwords/once] [http://www.write101.com/W.Tips214.htm]

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I found a small magenta colored oval tablet with a B imprinted on one side and WL 25 on the other. What is it? The pill in question is a 25 mg Benadryl Allergy Ultratab Tablet. [http://www.wallsrx.com/services/cpident.cfm]

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Why do some people pluralize the word virus as "virii"? From http://linuxmafia.com/~rick/faq/plural-of-virus.html: "Those confused souls who write virii are tacitly positing the existence of the non-word virius, and declining it as though it were like filius. It's true that l/r are both linguals that sometimes get interchanged, and that f/v are just a change in voicing, but that's just reaching. Virii is still completely silly, so...

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What is the difference between "yougurt" and "yakult"? Yogurt (yoghurt) is a thick, gelatinous substance produced by the fermentation of sugars in milk. It commonly contains cultures of Streptococcus salivarius, S. thermophilus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. casei and L. bifidus. There is a drinkable form called kefir, but yogurt is generally too thick to drink. Yogurt information: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yogurt] ...

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I was hit in my left eye and light now bothers it. What should I do? You should visit an ophthalmologist to ensure there is not a serious problem with your eye. You could have anything from an abraded cornea to a detached retina, but without professional examination there's no way of knowing.

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What is the highest temperature at which a housefly can survive? According to G.L. Clarke's _The Biology of Populations_, the maximum survival temperature for the housefly (Musca domestica) is 46.5 degrees Celsius.

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What is the highest temperature ever produced in a laboratory? The highest temperature ever produced in a laboratory was 9.2x10^8 degrees Fahrenheit (5.11x10^8 C) at the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor in Princeton, New Jersey. [From http://www.hightechscience.org/funfacts.htm]

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I can see a mole developing on my face. How can I prevent it from growing? If you're seeing a mole developing, you might want to get that checked out by a dermatologist. Advice on the internet will not help you if it turns out to be a melanoma!

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What are mycorrhizae? Mycorrhizae, a term derived from the Greek for “fungus root,” are a symbiotic relationship between soil-dwelling fungi and the roots of a plant. In this partnership, the fungus obtains carbon from the plant while facilitating the uptake of inorganic nutrients from the soil. The fungal hyphae increase the volume of soil that can be explored by the plant’s roots, increasing nutrient and water...

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At the moment of death, is there a detectable loss of mass to the body that is unexplainable in physical terms? According to http://www.snopes.com/religion/soulweight.asp, a Dr. Duncan MacDougall performed this experiment in 1907. His measurements of the "weight of the soul" varied significantly across the six trials he performed (of which two were discarded due to equipment failure). MacDougall also weighed dogs ante- and post-mortem and found no change, leading him to conclude that dogs do...

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What are primary and secondary succession? Primary succession occurs when a major, catastrophic disturbance (glacial retreat, volcanic eruptions, etc.) destroys all the plants in an area, allowing other species to colonize. The initial colonists on a severely disturbed site vary depending on the nature of the substrate: smooth, bare rocks will attract lichens, gravel will lure perennial herbs, and sand will be colonized by grasses....

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What is the most fragrant jasmine plant? This is very subjective -- what I find to be the most fragrant jasmine plant may not be the same one you would choose. I can give you suggestions, but ultimately you need to smell the jasmine plants for themselves and decide which has the most appealing fragrance. Here are a few that many people enjoy: Cestrum nocturnum Jasminum sambac 'Belle of India' J. sambac 'Grand...

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What is an ombrotrophic bog? An ombrotrophic bog is an area of wet, spongy, peat-forming ground that derives its water supply and nutrients directly from rainfall. As a result, these bogs are very acidic (pH less than or equal to 4) and low in nutrients. They are generally dominated by Sphagnum mosses, black spruce, and ericaceous shrubs (plants in the heath family). If you have access to back issues of scientific...

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Both my parents have A positive blood, and I am O negative. Is this possible? Yes, this is possible. The four bloodtypes (A, B, AB, and O) can be represented as follows: A = AA, AO B = BB, BO AB = AB O = OO If both your parents are AO, then there is a 1/4 chance for you to have type O blood. If either parent was AA, then it is impossible for you to have type O blood. The Rh factor (the positive or negative) can be represented as follows: Positive =...

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My habanero plant has small white and red bugs with wings on the flowers and stems. What are these bugs and how can I keep them off my plant? Without seeing a picture of these insects, it is impossible to tell what they are. You may want to head over to http://www.bugguide.net and post images there; someone should be able to identify them quickly. Or you could send them to the e-mail address in my profile! ;-) Without any more information, I would guess that your mystery insect might be the pink morph of the potato aphid,...

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I'm terrified of bees. Are there any types of shrubs or small trees (4- 8 ft) that do not attract bees, wasps etc.? Unfortunately, you don't have a lot of options here. You could plant clumping bamboo, Japanese maples, dwarf conifers, witch hazel, or certain trees in the genus Prunus. Some plants that do not attract bees include dianthus, geraniums, chrysanthemums, marigolds, strawflowers, some zinnias, and many roses. Definitely do NOT plant lavender, dahlias, asters, azaleas, bee balm, echinacea,...

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What plant families have stems that are square in cross section? I can think of four common families that have tetragonal stems: * Lamiaceae (Labiatae), the mint family, * Lythraceae, the loosestrife family, * Rubiaceae, the madder family, and * Urticaceae, the nettle family. Of these, only the Lamiaceae can claim the four-angled stem as one of its most defining characteristics. I searched Watson and Dallwitz's The Families of Flowering...

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Can blind people tell the difference between night and day? The other answers here are excellent and well written. However, I would like to add this little tidbit: David Berson, professor of neuroscience at Brown University, recently discovered a new class of photoreceptor called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). These cells, which number about 2,000 per eye, communicate directly with the brain and are responsible for...

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Why are assassins commonly referred to by their first, middle, and last names? If you take a look at Wikipedia's list of assassins (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_assassins), you'll see that more assassins are referred to by just first and last name rather than first, middle, and last. Perhaps it seems that assassins are referred to by their full name because we commonly hear of John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, and James Earl Ray, but there are...

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How old is the earth? Most scientists accept the Earth to be approximately 4.5-4.6 billion years old. Evidence for this age comes from * Radiometric dating of rocks in Greenland, Australia, and the Great Lakes region of North America, * Radiometric dating of zircon crystals in Australian rocks, * Dating of moon rocks and meteorites, and * Measurements of lead isotopes, leading to the "model lead...

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What is the difference between sedges, rushes, and grasses? When I was an undergraduate, one of my professors shared a little ditty with the class: "Sedges have edges/Rushes are round/Grasses have nodes from the top to the ground" (or "Grass is what we smoke when the prof's not around"). Sedges (Cyperaceae) are monocots with a solid stem that appears triangular in cross-section (hence the "Sedges have edges" part)....

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What are the causes of an oversized liver, and are there any remedies? An enlarged liver (hepatomegaly) can have various causes. Some of these include * Chronic alcohol use, * Hepatitis A, B and C, * Certain other infections, * Congestive heart failure, * Infectious mononucleosis, * Leukemia, * Tumors, * Glycogen storage disease, * Metabolic disorders, and * Vitamin A overdose. Please see this website...

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Can a quadraplegic perform a patellar reflex, and can they sense the tap that causes it? This question is perhaps best answered on a case-by-case basis. I can merely make generalizations here. A quadriplegic may be able to perform a patellar reflex but not sense the tap that causes it. Spinal cord damage, regardless of the cause, will lead to exaggerated, distorted, or absent reflexes, and motor neurons below the level of injury may not respond to any sort of stimulus. The...

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How do hissing cockroaches hiss? Hissing cockroaches produce their characteristic hiss by forcibly expelling air through a pair of abdominal spiracles. Males hiss in courtship displays and in aggressive encounters with other males. Both sexes hiss when disturbed.

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Are there any sites I can use that will help me identify spiders? Spiders are notoriously difficult to identify beyond family without resorting to microscopy, dissection, and lots of reference books. However, if you are content identifying them to family, http://www.bugguide.net is an excellent resource for sussing out the identity of the spider in question. The entomologists and arachnidologists who frequent that website are often able to get the spiders...

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How many variations are there of the black widow spider? According to entomologist Jeremy Miller of the Smithsonian Institution, there are at least 22 species of black widow spider in the world. In 1959, the arachnidologist H.W. Levi contended that most of the distinct species of widows were in fact Latrodectus mactans and reduced the number of Latrodectus species to 6. This led other entomologists to question Levi's research, as individuals...

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How can I keep bananas from turning brown so quickly? To keep the flesh of a peeled banana from turning brown, mist it or dip it in the juice of an acidic fruit such as lemon, lime, orange, or pineapple. There are also commercial preparations such as Ever-Fresh and Fruit-Fresh, which have a similar effect. Store bananas away from other fruits, as the ethylene gas given off affects ripening. Ripening can be halted by placing the banana in the...

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Do insects have eyelids? No, insects do not have eyelids.

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Where on Earth can the entire geological column be observed? The entire geological column, showing the Precambrian and the 11 periods of the Phanerozoic eon (Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, Permian, Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Tertiary, Quaternary), can be observed in 31 basins worldwide. These areas are: * Ghadames Basin in Libya * Beni Mellal Basin in Morocco * Essaouira Basin in Morocco * Tunisian Basin in Tunisia...

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I know that a baby's eye colour can change, can it change a second time later in life? Yes, it is possible for eye color to change later in life. Eye color change is most commonly related to aging, but can also result from disease or the use of certain medications. Some uncommon causes of eye color change in adults include * Fuch’s heterochromic iridocyclitis * Horner’s Syndrome * pigmentary glaucoma * pigment dispersion syndrome * senile iris atrophy * use of...

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What is the name of the 80s rock song with the lyrics "All I want to do is run my fingers through your hair, through your hair....oohh through your hair"? The song is "It's Your Life" (album "Get Lucky") by Loverboy. The lyrics are: Would it be too much to ask you for a light? Or is that the kind of thing that always ends up in a fight? How come you think that everybody's on the make? But if we carry on this way there's got to be some give and take But it's your life Do what you like ...

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How does the United States government decide which plants qualify as "noxious weeds"? The term "noxious weed" is defined in section 403 of the Plant Protection Act (7 U.S.C. 7702(10)) as "any plant or plant product that can directly or indirectly injure or cause damage to crops (including nursery stock or plant products), livestock, poultry, or other interests of agriculture, irrigation, navigation, the natural resources of the United States, the public health, or...

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Why do some overweight people have dark patches of skin around the neck? This condition is known as "acanthosis nigricans" and is thought to be caused by "insulin spillover" that causes the skin to thicken. People with this condition should have their insulin level checked to ensure they do not have insulin-resistance, diabetes, or a tumor. Interestingly, this condition can also be found in dachshunds! And not just the overweight ones. ;-) ...

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Are there any foods that should be avoided during pregnancy? What are they? Yes, there are a number of foods that should be avoided or eaten in moderation during pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends pregnant women avoid hot dogs or luncheon meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot; soft cheeses such as feta, brie, Camembert, Roquefort, blue-veined, or Mexican-style; refrigerated patés or meat spreads; and refrigerated smoked seafood...

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Why are pregnant women advised not to handle broken tablets of Propecia? Pregnant women are advised not to handle broken tablets of Propecia (finasteride) because this medication can cause birth defects in male babies. Finasteride is an enzyme inhibitor that blocks the effects of 5-alpha-reductase 2, which inhibits the conversion of testosterone to 5-dihydrotestosterone and 5-androstanediol. In men with benign prostatic hyperplasia, these two androgens act on...

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Is it possible to be pregnant and still have a period? No, it is not possible to menstruate during pregnancy. There is a sizeable about of misinformation on the internet regarding the possibility of having a period while pregnant. Bleeding during pregnancy is NOT the same as menstruation. Every month the body goes through a series of hormonal changes which prepare the body for implantation of a fertilized egg. One of these changes involves...

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Can I give my cat asprin? Without close veterinary supervision, absolutely not. Your cat may need to have blood work and a physical examination done prior to receiving aspirin to ensure the liver, kidneys, and thyroid gland are in working order. Some cats, just like humans, are actually allergic to aspirin or can have bleeding disorders that are exacerbated by this drug. In larger doses aspirin cannot be broken down...

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How can I construct a homemade plant press? A simple method for constructing a plant press involves the use of two 12" x 18" sheets of 1/4" plywood, a number of sheets of corrugated cardboard roughly the same dimensions as the plywood, 2 lengths of strap with buckles that can be cinched tight, and a newspaper. Place one sheet of plywood on a level surface. Add a sheet of cardboard on top of the plywood. Put one sheet...

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How was papyrus made? Ancient Egyptians made papyrus from the woody stems of Cyperus papyrus, a plant in the sedge family (Cyperaceae). Diagnostically, sedges have a stem that is triangular in cross-section, three "ranks" of leaves, and flowers borne in an arrangement characteristic of graminoid (grass-like) plants. To make papyrus, the tough, deep green epidermal layer of the stems is peeled away,...

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What is the term for the spikes at the end of a stegosaur's tail? The group of spikes at the end of a stegosaur's tail is called a "Thagomizer," after a "Far Side" cartoon in which a caveman lecturing to a group describes this region as "the Thag-o-mizer, in honor of the late Thag Simmons." This started out as a joke among researchers, but has found its way into actual anatomical parlance.

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I've never had a green thumb, but I'd like to plant some flowers this year. Which plants are the heartiest and easiest to take care of in Ontario's climate? If you take a look at the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html), you'll see that most of Ontario falls in Zone 2b, which means the average winter minimum temperature there is between -45 and -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-42.7 to -40 degrees Celsius). There is a swath of Zone 2a cutting through the middle of the province and the area bordering Lakes...

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What is "hygroscopic water"? "Hygroscopic water" is a film of water no more than 0.0002 millimeters thick, which is chemically bound to soil particles by adhesive forces in excess of 31 bars (sea level pressure is 1 bar). This makes the water unavailable to plants, as it can only be liberated from the soil by heating. The Soil Science Society of America...

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What causes moles? Are there various types? Moles (nevi; singular: nevus) are localized proliferations of melanocytes (pigment cells) in the skin. As a result, most moles are dark brown or black, though some can be flesh-colored, yellow, or even blue. The precise cause of moles is uncertain, but some researchers have found two genes thought to increase propensity toward malignant melanoma. There are a number of different types of...

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How are fingerprints formed? In the "Ask the Experts" section of the May 2005 issue of Scientific American (also online at http://www.sciam.com/askexpert_question.cfm?articleID=0008E9CF-3762-11F1-B76283414B7F0000&catID=3&chanID=sa005), a reader has inquired about the inheritability of fingerprint patterns. The answer given by Glenn Langenburg, a latent print examiner, is: "Fetuses develop smooth...

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How does Viagra work? During sexual stimulation, nitric oxide (NO) is released in the corpora cavernosa (two cylinders of spongy erectile tissue in the penis). The nitric oxide activates an enzyme called guanylate cyclase, increasing levels of a smooth-muscle relaxant known as cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). Smooth muscle acts involuntarily -- the conscious mind has no control over its actions. This kind of...

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Can you overdose on Viagra? What happens if you do? Like any drug, it is possible to overdose on Viagra. Exceeding the maximum recommended dose of 100 mg leads to a greater intensity and duration of side effects, including facial flushing, difficulty discerning blue from green, headache, dyspepsia (indigestion), and priapism (an erection lasting longer than 4 hours). If Viagra is taken in conjunction with certain other medications, the side...

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What happens if a woman takes Viagra? Based on my understanding of the mechanism by which Viagra works its magic on men, all that would happen in a woman is increased blood flow to the genitals. Perhaps the knowledge of having taken a "sex pill" is enough suggestion to enhance the experience, but no large-scale, controlled pharmacological tests have been done to show any effect in females. Pfizer tested doses of Viagra...

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Can a human brain overheat? It is possible for the brain of any species to overheat. Human brain temperature is slightly less than the core temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). Acute injury causes brain temperature to increase by a few degrees. In cases of heat stroke, the core temperature can rise to 106 degrees F (41 degrees C), at which point brain death begins. When the core temperature...

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How do "truth" serums work? "Truth serum," the chemical thiopental sodium, is a fast-acting barbituate that makes a person talkative, uninhibited, and extremely open to suggestion. It does not make a person "tell the truth," but they can be coaxed into saying things the interviewer wants them to say. The effect of this drug is similar to acute alcohol intoxication. Technically, thiopental sodium...

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Which features do all insects have? At the most basic level, all insects share five characteristics: the presence of a hard external skeleton divided into head, thorax, and abdomen; exposed mouthparts; three pairs of jointed legs; a pair of antennae on the head; and an abdomen with eleven segments. Contrary to popular belief, however, not all insects possess wings. There is a group of primitive wingless insects known as...

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What is photosynthesis? The process by which plants, certain bacteria, and other organisms posessing chlorophyll harness the sun's energy to synthesize carbohydrates for energy and tissue maintenance.

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How do blisters form? Blisters form when pressure and friction cause a separation of the topmost layer of moist skin. Water from surrounding tissues seeps into the gap produced by the sheeting of the skin, which irritates the surrounding cells and causes a stinging sensation. Blisters can also form in a number of diseases, including pemphigus vulgaris, epidermolysis bullosa, toxic epidermal necrolysis, and...

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Why do cats like mint so much? Many cats enjoy mint because of certain chemical compounds contained within the plants and may respond to other members of the mint family because of some heretofore unrecognized compounds. Catnip (Nepeta cataria), a member of the mint family, contains citral, geraniol, citronellol, nerol, limonene, and nepetalactone in its essential oil. The nepetalactone is what makes cats loopy -- they can...

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What is "plant hormone" and its role in plant development? Plant hormones, which regulate plant physiological processes, fall into five major molecular classes: auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, abscisic acid, and ethylene. Each has its own special function. Briefly, * auxins promote elongation in shoot cells, * gibberellins stimulate growth, break seed dormancy, and delay senescence, * cytokinins stimulate cell division and release apical...

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What is "photorespiration" and why it is needed by plants? Photorespiration occurs when carbon dioxide levels within the leaf tissue dwindle to about 50 parts per million, usually on a hot, dry day where a plant has closed its stomates to prevent water loss. At this concentration of CO2, oxygen reacts with ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) in the presence of RubisCO, an enzyme used in the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis, and creates 2 molecules of...

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Do all caterpillars turn into butterflies? No, not all caterpillars turn into butterflies. Some caterpillars are parasitized by braconid wasps, which lay an egg inside the body of its host. The egg hatches and the larva, using various means to escape detection by the caterpillar's immune system, begins to strategically consume it from the inside out. It nibbles away at parts of the caterpillar's body and manages to keep...

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How can I identify common insects? Is there a website for this? Another good website to check out is http://www.bugguide.net/, which has a plethora of images to aid in identification. Also, the dichotomous key at http://www.ex.ac.uk/bugclub/bugid.html is good for taking the identification down to the order of insect but not to family. For this website, however, you may need to learn a little entomological terminology (e.g., haltere, tarsi, elytra), but...

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Does homosexuality exist in the animal kingdom? Homosexuality is common across different taxa of animals. Some examples include * Bonobo apes, which routinely engage in both heterosexual and homosexual behavior; * rhesus macaques, which engage in sex play and the occasional mounting of members of the same sex; * chinstrap penguins, particularly a pair of males from New York's Central Park Zoo who have even raised a chick...

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What is the Krebs Cycle? The Krebs Cycle, also known as the citric acid cycle or tricarboxylic acid cycle, is a series of chemical reactions in all aerobic organisms (organisms that utilize oxygen in cellular respiration). It has many extremely important roles in the cell: it breaks down organic molecules to generate energy in the form of ATP (adenoside triphosphate) and provides the precursors to certain compounds,...

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What educational requirements are needed to pursue a career as a botanist? Ideally, anyone planning to study plants for a living should have a terminal degree in biology, botany, plant pathology, horticulture, weed science, ecology, soil science, or a similar area of study. However, requirements vary depending on what sort of work you desire. Some advice: If you are still in high school, take as many science classes as you can. Go to the library and read up on...

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Can you propagate Asplenium Nidus (Bird's Nest Fern) from spores? Asplenium nidus can indeed be propagated from spores. Cal's Plant of the Week entry for this fern (http://www.plantoftheweek.org/week204.shtml) says: "The ripe spores can be collected on a piece of paper placed under spore bearing leaves. Sow spores on damp peat moss in late winter. They germinate best at a temperature of 68-70 degrees (20-21°C). The growing medium should be kept...

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I have a spider that is big, has black/brown stripes on it's legs with an "aztec crown" of black and gold on it's belly. Can anyone tell me what type of spider this is? Without an image or any indication of where you live, it would be very difficult to accurately identify this arachnid. I would refer you to http://www.bugguide.net/, which has images to which you can compare your specimen. Though if I had to venture a guess based solely on your description, I'd think it was a long-jawed orbweaver. Good luck!

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How do you eradicate Japanese Knotweed (Mexican Bamboo)? The Plant Conservation Alliance (PCA) gives several methods of eliminating Japanese knotweed (Polygonum cuspidatum), including: * removing the entire plant, including all roots and runners, and disposing of it in a dumpster * cutting the stem 2 inches above ground level and applying a 25% solution of glyphosate or triclopyr and water to the cross-sectioned area * spraying larger...

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What colors of clothes tend to look good with darker shades of skin? Darker skin tones tend to look good in coral, bright orange, lemon yellow, beige, vanilla, pink, khaki, baby blue, gray, bluish-red, royal blue, pistachio green, emerald green, and many others. Ultimately, you need to try on a number of different colors and see what looks stunning on you. And if you can't decide, drag a trusted friend along, buy him lunch for his trouble, and get an...

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What are some things to watch out for when buying clothes on eBay? Additionally, request measurements of the item. Different clothing brands size differently -- what may be a large in one brand will fit like a medium of another brand. This can prove problematic, especially if the seller declares that "all sales are final."

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What is a phloem? Phloem is the nutrient-transporting tissue in vascular plants. It consists of sieve-tube members and companion cells, which can move sap bidirectionally. Phloem is laid down in phases, first by the apical meristems and later by the vascular cambium.

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What is a xylem? Xylem is the lignin-fortified water transporting tissue in vascular plants. In angiosperms it is comprised of vessel elements and tracheids, whereas in gymnosperms it is made up solely of tracheids. These tissues are dead at maturity, leaving only the thickened cell wall.

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What do kidneys do? The function of the kidneys is to keep the blood chemically balanced and devoid of toxins and to expel urine through the ureters and into the urinary bladder. The kidneys process about 200 gallons of blood each day, sending the waste products and excess water to the bladder. In addition, the kidneys secrete three hormones. Erythropoeitin stimulates the production of red blood cells, renin...

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I heard that the makers of Seroquel are facing a lawsuit because it causes diabetes, is this true? The prescribing information for Seroquel (http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/pi/Seroquel.pdf) says, "Assessment of the relationship between atypical antipsychotic use and glucose abnormalities is complicated by the possibility of an increased background risk of diabetes mellitus in patients with schizophrenia and the increasing incidence of diabetes mellitus in the general population. Given...

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Can Seroquel cause nightmares? Seroquel (quetiapine fumarate), a novel anti-psychotic medication developed in 1996 by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, is used to treat the symptoms of schizophrenia and acute mania of bipolar disorder. The prescribing information at http://www.astrazeneca-us.com/pi/Seroquel.pdf lists "abnormal dreams" as an infrequent side effect of taking this medication.

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For how long is a cat pregnant? The normal gestation time for cats is 50-78 days, with the average being about 63 days. Implantation of the embryos occurs around the 12th day and pregnancy can be detected around the 20th day. About a week later, heartbeats can be discerned. When it is time for a queen to give birth, the process lasts between one and 36 hours. Occasionally, there can be a gap of 1-2 days between kittens. ...

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What are the components of a molecule of chlorophyll? Chlorophyll, a photoreceptive pigment, allows plants to absorb sunlight and synthesize it into carbohydrates and oxygen. The basic formula for photosynthesis takes 6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water, reacts them in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight (a catalyst), and converts them into 1 molecule of glucose (C6H12O6) and 6 molecules of oxygen. Plants use the...

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What are the names of the seven archangels? .

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Is it dangerous for prepubescent girls to have sex? What are the potential risks, if any? There are plenty of risks involved with this proposition, including physical and mental trauma, an increased risk of cervical and uterine cancer later in life, and you going to jail for having sex with someone under the age of consent.

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On the iris of my eye, next to the pupil but not connected, I have a small black dot. What is it and how did I get it? If this dot recently appeared, you should contact an ophthalmologist.

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Which band member has stayed in Deep Purple in all the different line ups? Drummer Ian Paice is the only member of Deep Purple who has remained in the band from the beginning.

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What is the song "Smoke on the water" about? According to http://www.songfacts.com/detail.lasso?id=1284, Deep Purple's well-known song "Smoke on the Water" is about a fire at a Montreux, Switzerland casino. Someone fired a flare gun at the ceiling, which burst into flames. The conflagration destroyed Frank Zappa's recording equipment and prevented Deep Purple from recording their album "Machine Head" there.

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Is ragweed related to lettuce? Ragweed is related to lettuce insofar as they are both in the family Asteraceae (Compositae). Members of a particular family share certain characteristics such as arrangement of leaves, number of petals, and reproductive morphology. In the case of the Asteraceae, or sunflower family, the major distinctive character differentiating them from other plants is the structure of the flowers and...

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