Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Theodore Roosevelt And Progressive Reform - 804 Words
Theodore Roosevelt and Progressive Reform, 1901- 1909 I. The United States at the Start of the Twentieth Century A. Unfortunately, the previous President William McKinley was injured on September 6, 1901 at Buffalo, New York, which terminated his life. 1. Consequently, The vice president Theodore Roosevelt became the former President 2. The years that he was in office was called the ââ¬Å"Progressive Eraâ⬠3. There was a large impact on the commercial system 4. Big businesses were regulated 5. Customers benefited from this since their conditions were revised B. Citizens desired to have more power, to be able to choose a nominee, surpass decisions made by the law and suggest laws C. The population of 1901 was 73 million 1. However, that was rapidly increasing due to immigration 2. By 1906 the population would increase to 1.1 million coming in 3. Most immigrants would settle on cities that were developing 4. Very few people lived in little towns and rural lands 5. Urban cities began to expand, whereas rural area were decreasing II. A Longer Life Span A. In the year of 1900 the lives of people was prolonging 1. In 1901 it was believed that white men lived up to only forty-seven and fifty-one for wome 2. That changed in 1920 when they were living up to fifty-four and women up to fifty-five B. However, it was drastically different for minorities, in 1901 it went from thirty-four to forty-five in 1920 1. Minorities worked in really harsh conditions, therefore they were exposed toShow MoreRelatedCompare And Contrast Theodore Roosevelt And The Progressive Era755 Words à |à 4 PagesDuring the Progressive Era, two presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, were very essential and celebrated during their time. Roosevelt became president in 1901 and was probably one of the most influential Republicans ever to have power over the American people (ââ¬Å"Theodore Roosevelt.â⬠). Being a democrat, Woodrow Wilson ran his campaign in a very different way than President Roosevelt. He became president in 1913 and was easily one of the best presidents the United States ever had, leadingRead MoreThe Age Of Uncertainty Between 1890 And 1920 s A New Movement Essay1423 Words à |à 6 Pagesemergence of Populists, Progressives and Radicals came a vast difference between what was thought as American. All groups claimed to be trying to make the US a better place however each differed v astly in their ideas of going about it. During the age of uncertainty between 1890 and the 1920ââ¬â¢s a new movement called the Progressives emerged in parts of the Unites States. They emerged as part of a long tradition of reform aimed at correcting the issues of the country. Progressives ranged across the socialRead MoreFranklin D. Roosevelt s President Of The United States1546 Words à |à 7 PagesChapter 31-33 Test: Individual Question When Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to his first term as president of the United States in 1932, America was in a severe depression. When Franklin Roosevelt took office in March of 1933, President Hoover handed the problems of the Great Depression over to Roosevelt. Upon taking office, Franklin Roosevelt issued a bank holiday which forced all banks to close from March 6 to March 10 while he met with Congress to pass the Emergency Banking Act to allow banksRead MoreIntroduction. In ââ¬Å"The Man With The Muck-Rake,â⬠Theodore1327 Words à |à 6 PagesIntroduction In ââ¬Å"The Man with the Muck-Rake,â⬠Theodore Roosevelt used diction, symbolism, and ethos to convey his convictions on the social and political evils in progressive era America in order to shed light on the necessity of a proper and honest society. Historical Background In the late nineteenth century, America was a country in its prime of industrialization and immigration influx. Known as the Gilded Age, this period defined the United States as the bustling powerhouse it is today, butRead MoreUnit 8 DBQ904 Words à |à 4 PagesCameronà Richterà Periodà 0à Unità 8à DBQà Prompt:à Evaluateà theà effectivenessà ofà Progressiveà Eraà reformersà andà theà federalà governmentà inà bringingà aboutà reformà atà theà nationalà level.à Inà yourà answerà beà sureà toà analyzeà theà successesà andà limitationsà ofà theseà effortsà inà theà periodà 190à 1920.à à Theà Progressiveà movementà wasà anà effortà toà cureà Americanà societyà ofà manyà ofà theà illà idealsà thatà hadà developedà duringà theà laterà partsà ofà theà 19thà andà theà earlyà 20thà centuriesà becauseà ofà theà growthà ofà industry.à Althoughà greatà citiesà andà businessesà developedRead MoreExtent to which the Republican Party Liberalized1502 Words à |à 6 PagesA. Plan of Investigation The Progressive Era was a time characterized by a multitude of reactions to the inherent problems in American society and politics. The previous age of ââ¬Å"gildedâ⬠politics had left the American political system fraught with corruption and inefficiency, and the rise of industrialization made clear the socioeconomic divide between the lower and upper classes. Progressivism became a loosely connected movement of legislation, ideas, and people striving to improve theRead MoreThe Election of 1912 Essay1054 Words à |à 5 PagesDuring the Progressive Era, Americans faced the challenge of choosing between four strong candidates of the election of 1912. Each candidate held concrete platforms that would have different effects on progressivism. Americans could chose the conservative presidential incumbent William Howard Taft(R), the New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson (D), the long-time fighter for social reform-Eugene V. Debs (S), or the former president Theodore Roosevel t of the newly formed Bull Moose Party (Progressive Party)Read MoreEssay about 1912 Election1032 Words à |à 5 PagesDuring the Progressive Era, Americans faced the challenge of choosing between four strong candidates of the election of 1912. Each candidate held concrete platforms that would have different effects on progressivism. Americans could chose the conservative presidential incumbent William Howard Taft(R), the New Jersey governor Woodrow Wilson (D), the long-time fighter for social reform-Eugene V. Debs (S), or the former president Theodore Roosevelt of the newly formed Bull Moose Party (Progressive Party)Read MoreEssay on The Progressive Era?s influence on the New Deal1349 Words à |à 6 Pagesunknowingly disseminated by the pre-WWI Progressive movement. Sparked by the new image as a world power, industrialization, and immigration at the dawn of the new century, a new found reform movement gripped the nation. With the new found image of the nation and world as a whole , the reforms advanced the position of the previously ignored people of the nation, as did its reincarnation and rebirth apparent in the New Deal. Although the first signs of this pristine Progressive movement shone since the mid-1800sRead MoreTheodore Roosevelt : A Leader Of This Great Nation1666 Words à |à 7 PagesJefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. It is clear why George Washington, as the first president, Thomas Jefferson, as third president and author of the Declaration of Independence, and Abraham Lincoln, as the sixteenth president and the president during the Civil War, are forever sculpted into the side of the mountain, but why include Theodore Roosevelt? He only served for eight years, just like most presidents; there werenââ¬â¢t any major wars that occurred during his presidency. Theodore Roosevelt
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
John Singleton Copley Example For Students
John Singleton Copley Biography Biography John Singleton Copley (1738ââ¬â1815) John Singleton Copley was the son of an Irishman who died in the West Indies in 1737. As far as can be ascertained the artist was born on July 3d of the same year in Boston, whither his par ents had emigrated the year before. Ten years later the Widow Copley married one Pelham, who was a dabster at drawing and engraving, and from whom. his stepson doubtless acquired his first hints at art. We will write a custom essay on John Singleton Copley specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now The youth of our first American historical painter, for such Copley really was, though his choice of subjects was anything but American, is involved in a singular obscurity. About all that is known of it is what he used to tell himself, and even he had but a vague idea of his earlier years. It is a toler ably well-authenticated fact, however, that he was the creator of his own art, and that he never saw a decent picture till -he had long learned to paint very fair ones himself. He began to paint, like Benjamin West, with colors and brushes of his own manu facture, and one of his pet yarns of his boyhood related to his being arrested for violating a Boston blue law by going sketching. on Sunday. He is said to have received a little instruction from a Scotch painter named Smybert, who came to America in I728, and died when Copley was fourteen; but whatever tutelage he obtained from him cannot have amounted to much. At any rate, in 1754 he was making some sort of a living as a painter and help ing to take the place, as provider, of his stepfather, who had died three- years before. He painted miniatures and acquired some repute, George Wash ington being one of his sitters in 1756. In 1760 he sent a portrait of his half-brother, unsigned and undated, to Benjamin West, in London. This was the picture known as The Boy.and the Flying Squirrel. West is reported to have gone into ecstasies over it. Contrary to the rules of the Royal Academy, which give anonymous works the cold shoulder, he had it hung there, and, ferreting out its author, invited him to London. But Copley did not accept the invitation. In 1769 he married the daughter of a Boston merchant, a great beauty, whose heart he had first assailed while painting her portrait, and who figures as the principal of the female group in the Death of Major Pierson. She brought him money and wealthy connections. They lived on Beacon Hill till 1771, when he came to New York. But the Revolution was im pending, and his father-in-lawwas a staunch Tory. It was to him, as agent of the East India Company, that the tea ships which the Bostonians raided were consigned. Between wife and father-in-law the artist was influenced, and in 1774 he sailed for England. West fathered and Reynolds patted him on the back, so the aristocracy took him in hand. He painted himself to Italy by the lords and ladies who found it fashionable to help the American artist along, and studied in Rome and elsewhere on the Peninsula tillhis wife, having sold their Boston property, crossed the At lantic after him, leaving on May 27, 1775, on the last ship that sailed from Massachusetts under the British fiag. Copley joined her in London and settled down there, never to see America again. He painted his Youth Resued from a Shark and his portraits and groups, on the strength of which he joined the Royal Academy, and took to historical painting. His Death of Chatham made a hit, and 2,500 impressions of the Bartolozzi plate, after it, were sold in a single run. But;he made far less money out of his historical pictures than he expected. They took up much of his time that he might have profitably employed in portraiture. The plates were costly, too, and Bartolozzi took his own time in executing them, so, altogether, Copley seems to have been hard up pretty much all the time. Still he had some fine business connections. .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd , .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .postImageUrl , .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd , .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd:hover , .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd:visited , .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd:active { border:0!important; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd:active , .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ud5129a81e09aab427f870f9c65d4e4cd:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Jose de Ribera Biography Analysis EssayWhile in London all the wealthy or dis tinguished Americans sat for him; among them John Adans, whose picture is now in the University Hall at Cambridge. Per haps the best picture outside of his portraits is Copleys Death of Major Pierson. Heath engraved it, and it had an extensive sale. For The Siege of Gibraltar Copley went to Hanover to take the portraits of four of the generals of that country. This picture, completed in 1792, was engraved by Sharp SThe Sur render of Admiral de Windt to Lord Camperdown came a few years later. Copleys picture of Charles I Demanding the Five Impeached Members seems not to have been a popular on e, on account of the subject. But whatever he turned outcreated a sensation, in spite of which he had to draw chronically on his American relatives to eke out his income. The fact is,Copley was fond of style, and indulged his weakness. Down to the time of his death, in September, i8i5, he seems to have been on bad terms with his creditors constantly; but he, by all accounts, found great solace in his work, and whenever care pressed too heavily on him, turned to his easel and shook it off. The works this man is perpetuated by have stood the critical test of our expanding taste far better than many others of his day. I remember his Death of Chatham, in the National Gallery, as a peculiarly strong though conventional and certainly historically inaccurate canvas. Indeed, Copley took the most cold-blooded liberties with history whenever he fell foul of her. But, in com pensation, he painted with extraordinary smoothness and care, drew well, and finished conscientiously. His color was . rich, though somewhat sombre, and he had a keen eye for the harmo nies. A feature that struck me about his pictures was his mania for working up the hands in them. But in his day the old German theory held full force, that no man was an artist who could not draw a perfect hand, and the man who could paint a perfect hand was an artist. Altogether, it seems to me that Copleys standing is, assured beyond the possibility of shaking. He was the first American who lent any dignity to our art. He soared upward, in an age of portrait painters, almost to the level of legitimate history. The pictures he turned ouit in his American period were marvels when we consider the limited facilities from which they grew. When he got a chance to study he became conventional, it is true, but through all the studied precision of line and color which characterizes his latter productions there glows a certain suggestion of his early natural, though crude force. If Copley had been born a century later, I believe we would be looking up to him -as a great man to-day. The art interest of Copley expires with him. He left his heri tage of talent to no descendant, but his family has enjoyed a some what interesting history since. Heleft six children, all born in America. One daughter lived an old maid to the age of ninety five. His most noteworthy child was the son who became Lord Lyndhurst and High Chancellor of Great Britain. This boy, born on Beacon Hill, was bred an Englishman and a lawyer, and in I8I7 was elected to the House of Commons to represent Yarmouth. In his eighty-eighth year, in i86o, he was an active member of the Lords. Lyndhurst died in I863 with the title of the Nestor of the House of Lords, ashamed to the last of his American origin. The same sentiment seems to have pervaded his family. His sister, who wrote the pretentious biography of her father from which I quote, lays less stress on the eminence which made that parent illustrious than on the fact that he was the father of a real, live Lord.
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Hedda Gabler Essays (852 words) - Film, Literature, Theatre
Hedda Gabler Courtney Jane Brown THTR-DSTP Hedda Gabler Ibsen once said, Find out who you are and become that person, because, To realize yourself is the highest goal a person can attain. Self realization was Ibsen's super-objective. To find self-realization was the main theme of his play Hedda Gabler. Hedda, Tesman, and Thea, all live their lives through others, therefore never reaching self-realization. Their deficiencies entail cowardice, lack of imagination and validation. They make up for it by manipulating, borrowing and dependency. Searching for themselves in each other. Hedda lives through others by manipulation. Hedda is a coward, she is afraid of taking charge of her life and making something of herself. Since she feels a lack of control over her life, she controls others. She is unhappy because she has no control and tries to make everyone else unhappy. In the opening scene Aunt Julie comes over and places her hat in the living room, Hedda then purposefully remarks on how rude it was for the maid to leave her hat around the house. Aunt Julie's feelings are hurt deeply, since she bought the hat brand new. Hedda is also very condescending and sarcastic towards Tesman; he is completely unaware of it. She plays him like a deck of cards. When he asks her why she burned Lovborg's manuscript; she says she did it for you dear, since you envied it. He believes her not seeing her real motives, then he later exclaims, Oh, I'm beginning to understand you, Hedda! Hedda's feeling of being out of control also effects how she interacts with the other characters. This is why she is manipulative. She manipulates the people around her to do things that they normally wouldn't do. When Lovborg and Thea are with her, she offers Lovborg a drink, but he refuses because he quit drinking. Then she spills a bit of information about Lovborg that Thea had told her and Lovborg is outraged. In his anger, he accepts the drink. She makes both Thea and Lovborg angry but she got satisfaction from effecting their actions. Hedda is also pregnant but refuses to recognize it because again that would mean less control for her. Towards the end of the play Judge Brack tells her, he knows it was her gun that Lovborg shot himself with. He knows she afraid of the scandal. Hedda replies, So I'm in your power, Judge. You have your hold over me from now on. Shortly after saying this and seeing Tesman and Thea working together, she buries herself in a room with her fathers' pic ture and the piano. (Sentence about room and escape and how she fails when she kills herself) Then shoots herself. Tesman lives through others by borrowing ideas. He lacks any imagination, so he uses others ideas in place of his own. He lacks control over his work, because none of it is really his. It seems that anytime anyone mentions an idea he remarks, Imagine that, in a bewildered sort of way. He can't even carry on an interesting conversation because he has no ideas or original thoughts to share. Tesman wants to be recognized and respected for his work, but his work and research is nothing new, meaningless. Tesman's book would be filled with regurgitated facts. He spent his entire honeymoon in a library. (What does this show us about his character) He is very ambitious; almost everything he does is used to further his recognition. Even his marriage to Hedda; he married her because she is a trophy to him. (Why does he need a trophy)? Thea Elvsted is closest to self-realization but doesn't quite make it because of her dependence on men. She gets much farther than anyone else in play, because she is taking herself to another level by writing the book with Lovborg and later Tesman. She leaves her husband to cling to Lovborg. One could argue that it isn't her fault to be dependent on men because there was no other way of having an income back then. Therefore, her dependence is not completely her fault but a pressure from society. Thea is Hedda's opposite because she works for moral improvement but not only for her, for Lovborg and later Tesman. When Lovborg tells
Sunday, March 8, 2020
The Regeneration of Roaring Camp essays
The Regeneration of Roaring Camp essays And so the work of regeneration began in Roaring Camp(4). The regeneration referred to takes place in a California mining camp in 1850. It takes the birth of Tommy Luck, son of Cherokee Sal, the camps prostitute, who died giving birth, to start this transformation of the town. Sometimes one doesnt realize how much he needs to change until he gets a small push from fate. Just a little addition to the world can cause a regeneration of an entire town. Bret Harte demonstrates this idea in the story The Luck of Roaring Camp. In this story, Harte shows that even the roughest men can change into kind, gentle, wholesome people, through the love of a child. America is an early, crude and lawless place where regeneration can occur. The men of Roaring Camp were all unruly and all it takes is the love a child to change the rude into responsible. To the burly men of Roaring Camp, deaths were an ordinary event, but the birth of a child was a very special event that never took place because there were not any women. A commotion started as a result of the baby being born, but the men did not take it that serious and even made bets on whether or not the baby and Cherokee Sal would survive. They had no respect for the fact that Sal was in pain and in need of some type of assistance in the beginning, but as the screams worsened and the knew that Sal had passed on then, The camp rose to its feet as one man! (2). People were lined up single file and orderly because they had wanted to see the baby. This was the first sign of regeneration in the story. The first encounter with the baby was the start of a whole new lifestyle for the men. As they walked past the newborn, the men would give items that they had. A variety of things were given such as a diamond ring, a gun, a Bible, and around 200 dollars. As man named Kentuck walked by, the baby grabbed his finger in a cute way that awed K...
Friday, February 21, 2020
Tawaraya Sotatsu Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words
Tawaraya Sotatsu - Research Paper Example Background of Tawaraya Sotatsu Sotatsu was born in the 17th century in Japan. There isnââ¬â¢t a trace of the time frame when he was born or died, who is parents were and what his status was. The only eearly reference is to his name, which stands for ââ¬Ëshop.ââ¬â¢ It was also known that during this time, there were social differences in class and hierarchy, specifically between spiritualists, royalty and those who were designated to work in labor designated areas. Sotatsu belonged to the commoners group, known as a rising merchant. However, he began to notice his talent for the arts and painting earlier, which led him to connect to distinguished individuals that were known as warriors and which could educate Sotatsu on painting and illustrations. This led him to move into the genre of painting while working among more wealthy merchants so he could develop his talents in a different manner. It was from this that Sotatsu began to become a leader that revitalized literary paint ing for the period, specifically allowing the Edo Period to begin to transform in the types of works that were offered and the approach to art that was considered in high regard during the time1. Techniques of Sotatsu There were several techniques that Sotatsu used to become distinguished within Japan and to push forward the art work that was associated with the time. One common technique was the fan paintings that Sotatsu used to sell among the higher class and merchants. These were illustrated with authentic illustrations that were based around figures and decorative ideologies for the time. Flowers, trees, birds and animals are the most common seen in the fan paintings, as well as the other works of Sotatsu. Narrative scenes were also depicted, specifically with the fan paintings that were available. The main themes which were a part of the fan paintings were the most important, specifically because it was a newer way of approaching the decorative arts2. The fan paintings led int o other decorative materials that Sotatsu was known for using with the paintings and drawings. The materials that Sotatsu used led to the change in illustrations to ink painting. Most of the illustrations before this time were done with the drawings and lines that were used with ink. However, Sotatsu began to experiment with the ink and the ways in which it could shape and change the images. The ink became a way of painting because of the shading that he was able to incorporate into the paintings, as well as new textures which were implied through the ink. This began by applying a layer of pigment to the ink on paper or silk for the drawing. This was followed by a second layer of ink or colorant, usually which was applied before the ink was dry. The new pigment would then bleed outward to form a larger mark on the original material. This is combined with what is referred to as the tarakashomi method. This was popular during this time frame but was no longer used among artists. Sotat su began to popularize this concept with his works, which was inclusive of dripping or pooling. The ink would drip into the layers of pigments for visual effects. The fluidity of this particular ink would also allow for the painting to be applied to the work that was being illustrated, creating a thicker texture to the lines that were a part of the illustration3. The approaches which were taken for the layered pigments, ink
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Economics Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Economics Issue - Essay Example Korea as well as India may take the initiative of lessening tax rates for addressing and mitigating the above stated issues by a considerable extent. Based on the journal, which mainly depicted one of the problems facing by the economies across Asia concerning about diminishing inflation rates, it can be affirmed that then above nations must remain quite vigilant in keep the inflation rates under greater control. This might aid in attracting the investors and also the other stakeholders to take necessary and appropriate measures about solving such a crucial economic issue (Wright, ââ¬Å"Economies across Asia Face Falling Inflation Ratesâ⬠). With this concern, the essay intends to address the aforesaid economic issue with determining its impact on the economies and identifying the measures to address and mitigate such a crucial economic issue. In relation to Asian countries, Japan took the initiative of lessening consumer expenditures and making substantial investments for mitigating the problem of dipping inflation rates. In recent times, Japan experienced the crucial concern of rising prices in the form of monetary as well as fiscal stimulus. In this particular scenario, the economists anticipate that the inflation will fall below at certain rates in future. Apart from Japan, the inflation rate in Indonesia can also be apparently noticed below 8 % at the end of the year 2013 and the economists expect that inflation rate will be higher in subsequent years. This might be due to the reasons of increased level of globalization, gaining momentum of internationalization and most importantly increased level of customersââ¬â¢ expenditures among others (Wright, ââ¬Å"Economies across Asia Face Falling Inflation Ratesâ⬠). As per the article presented in Wall Street Journal, it can be ascertained that the respective governments of Asia have mainly relied on the debts for
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Introduction to DNA and Genetics
Introduction to DNA and Genetics Genetics is the study of the qualities that are inherited and transmitted to the offspring from the parents during reproduction. Parents pass traits to their offspring, making the basis of heredity. The inherited traits are coded for in genes, which are the inherited elements. Genes are the functional units of DNA. Through genetics, biologists and other scientists get to understand the processes and principles of heredity, genetic variation and genes. Genetics is of great interest in the contemporary society. With the completion of the Human Genome Project, a lot of information about genetics has been exposed that is essential to the understanding of the human health. Understanding of the genome and mutations that affect it has led to an explanation of genetically inherited traits. These characteristics were previously mysterious and could not be contained as drugs could not be developed against them. The information gained from genetics has aided the research into these diseases. It has also opened a window to the possibility of finding a cure for the deadly cancer diseases (Sack, 2008). The building block of all genetic concepts is DNA. DNA is one of the nucleic acids which stores hereditary or genetic information. It is found in the nucleus in eukaryotic organisms and the cytoplasm in the prokaryotic organisms. DNA is composed of nucleotides, which are composed of sugar, a phosphate group and a base. The DNA sugar is deoxyribose sugar. There are four essential bases in the structure of DNA. From the four bases, the numerous different sequences arise which lead to the differences observed among organisms. The bases are Thymine, Adenine, Guanine and Cytosine. The nucleotides bond to each other by a phosphor-diester bond, leading to a ladder-like double helix structure. The double helix structure is formed by the pairing of anti-parallel strands of DNA. The nucleotide bases from the two strands bind to each other through hydrogen bonds. Thymine pairs with Adenine and Guanine pairs with Cytosine (Hawley, 2010). The DNA is divided into functional regions called genes. Genes have varying sizes, from a few hundred DNA bases to more than two million bases. The genes code for the traits expressed by each individual. Each gene has specific sets of instructions that code for particular proteins or protein functions. The nucleotide sequence of each gene forms the genetic sequence, which is crucial in the central dogma. The central dogma explains that the phenotypic appearance of an individual is a characteristic of their DNA. From the DNA sequence, RNA (another nucleotide) can transcribe and translate the information into proteins. The proteins are the building structure of the body. Therefore, the protein that is expressed in the DNA is the one that will be manufactured and expressed physically as the structure of the individual (Hawley 2010, Sack, 2008). Genes are found in packaged DNA sets called chromosomes. Each chromosome has millions of DNA bases, from fifty to two hundred million in number. Many genes make a chromosome. The chromosomes are the means of transferring genetic information from the parents to the offspring. They are more complex as they are made up of the genes and binding proteins know as histones. The DNA is usually tightly wound around each of the proteins. Each organism has a specific number of chromosomes, which if exceeded or reduced result in an abnormality. The human beings have twenty-three pairs of chromosomes (46 chromosomes). One of the pairs is the sex chromosomes (XX for female and XY for male). The other twenty-two pairs of chromosomes are autosomes (Hawley 2010, Sack 2008). Traits are inherited from both parents following the Mendelian inheritance laws. The genetic makeup of an individual (genotype) is made of two alleles of each gene. An allele is a copy of a gene that codes for the same trait. Each allele is inherited from either parent. If the alleles are identical, they are called homozygous, and if they are not identical, they are heterozygous. If alleles are indeed identical, they have similar coding sequences at that particular locus. Each gene has a dominant allele that will be expressed in a case of the presence of a heterozygous pair of the alleles (Jobling, Hurles, Tyler-Smith, 2013). The genetic material of the human cells (and other eukaryotic cells) except the red blood cells is found in the nucleus. The RBC do not have a nucleus and hence do not carry genetic information. However, some organelles such as the mitochondria and the chloroplasts have their DNA. The organelles contain multiple copies of small chromosomes and are only inherited from the mother. They are found in the ovum during fertilization as the sperm cell only contributes the nuclear genetic information. The exact location of a gene on a chromosome is called a locus. There are fifty thousand to hundred thousands of genes in the human genome. However, the DNA in the genes is only approximately 2% of the total genomic DNA. Much of the information on the non-coding DNA has not yet unearthed, despite successfully completing the human genome project (Hawley, 2010). Formerly called junk DNA, the non-coding DNA is increasingly being considered to be of essential function in the central dogma. Scientists are, however, working to find out the exact role of the DNA, which has so far remained elusive. The locus of each gene has enabled the formation of the genetic map, as more than 13,000 genetic sites have been correctly identified (Sack, 2008). The genetic maps have enabled the study of different inherited diseases. The particular location of the gene(s) responsible for the conditions can be identified and studied. The development of the gene maps makes it faster, cheaper and more practical for scientists to identify and diagnose a given genetic disease. Genetic mapping has made it possible to identify most hereditary diseases such as cystic fibrosis, enabling adequate pharmaceutical research to be carried out on them. Hereditary diseases occur as a result of a mutation in the genes that code for given proteins. The mutation can either occur through deletions, substitutions or insertions of DNA bases at certain points leading to frameshifts in the structure of the gene. These frameshifts will result in coding for abnormal or non-functioning proteins (Loewe, 2008). Without these proteins to act in their usual roles, the body faces challenges adapting to situations that require the proteins. For example, the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is as a result of a deletion in a gene that codes for an important muscle protein, dystrophin. The absence of dystrophin results to muscle weakness and inevitable early death (Behrman, Kliegman, Jenson, 2011). However, some mutations are as a result of adaptation. For example, the mutation to cause sickle red blood cells was an adaptation to prevent malaria in the tropics. Genetics has not only enabled us to understand more about ourselves, but has also given us more information about our origins. Evolutionary genetics allows the comparison of genetic data of proteins from different organisms and establishing where they diverged or converged in the evolutionary tree. With the development of technology and computers, the branch of bioinformatics has explored worlds unknown before. Accurate data on genetic sequences has been compared with previous generations to establish the relationships between human beings and other organisms (Jobling, Hurles, Tyler-Smith, 2013). With the understanding of the past and evolution, genetics helps us to predict the future. The future of genetics is one of the exciting branches of science that has fascinated many biologists. Genetics is not without its shortcomings. The cloning debates and other ethical issues have brought the in-depth study and application of genetics into questions. The knowledge of Genetics might tempt scientists to try to act God in establishing human beings without blemish. The cloning of human being is also a much-debated question as well as the issues of personalized medicine. The study of the genetics of an individual also means that one gets to understand the genetics of the parents, raising ethical questions about the informed consent. Ethical dilemmas also arise when two carrier parents are expecting a child who has been diagnosed with the disease. Do they end the pregnancy or wait for the baby to be born and suffer? In some instances, genetics has led to more questions than answers (Fulda, Lykens, 2006). Despite its shortcoming, genetics opened multiple doors in the contemporary science. References: Behrman, R. E., Kliegman, R., Jenson, H. B. (2011). Nelson textbook of pediatrics. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders Co. Fulda, K. G., Lykens, K. (2006). Ethical issues in predictive genetic testing: a public health perspective. Journal of medical ethics, 32(3), 143-147. Hawley, R. S. (2010). HUMAN GENOME. Academic Press. Jobling, M., Hurles, M., Tyler-Smith, C. (2013). Human evolutionary genetics: origins, peoples disease. Garland Science. Sack, G. H. (2008). Genetics. New York: McGraw-Hill Medical.
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