“SUCCESS COMES TO THOSE

WHO WORK HARD”

With immense pleasure that I

appreciate the Department of

B i o l o g y f o r t h e i s s u e o f

e-newsletter, with the intent of

publicizing more widely the

concerns in b io log ica l and

environmental conservation. It's a

live cord that connects us all,

perspective of the constraints of

time and space. It provides a

platform for exposing the talents of

the faculty. This would definitely

create an impact in the minds of

readers. Learning is an ongoing

process and there are many

aspects to be learned. In a

complex world, which is ever

changing, the only enduring thing

is learning and through this e-

newsletter we teach how to learn,

how to think and how to achieve.

Proper communication plays a

vital role in the Institution’s

development. This newsletter will

serve to reinforce and allow

increased awareness, improved

interaction and integration among

all of us. It also helps in building up

team work which is very much

needed today. The articles are

inspiring and interesting. I hope

that this culture of releasing

newsletter will continue forever. "If

you want to go far, walk to gather”.

Let's create a population of

voracious readers and a society

that is open minded and pollution

free.

Mrs. S. SEETHALAKSHMI

PRINCIPAL

(w)e_link@SBOA Matric. Hr. Sec School, MDU

VOLUME 1, ISSUE 5 SEPTEMBER 2018

Welcome to the E-Newsletter (w)e_link. I am happy to present to you the fifth issue of (w) e_link.

SBOA MHSS, MDU Page 1

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Field of Biology ........... 1Bioremediation ............ 2Stem Cells ................... 3Rare & exotic wild life ....4Bonsai ...........................5Love Poem in Biology ...6Virgin Fruits .................. 6

Father of Biology:

Aristole

Father of Embryology :

Aristotle

Father of Zoology :

Aristotle

Father of Medicine :

Hippocrates

Father of Immunology :

Edward Jenner

Father of Modern

Microbiology :

Louis Pasteur

Father of Modern

experimental

physiology :

Caulde Bernard

Father of Genetics :

Rev. Gregor Mendel

Father of Cytology :

Robert Hooke

Father of Homeopathy:

Hahnemann

Father of Medical

Microbiology :

Robert Koch

Father of Bacteriology :

Robert Koch

Father of Microbiology :

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Compiled byMr. B. ShanmugamVice Principal (Admn.)

FIELD OF BIOLOGY AND

FOUNDERS

Page 2SBOA MHSS, MDU

BIOREMEDIATION

All of us, at one time or another, have been told to clean our rooms. Even though we likely balked at the command as if it were a huge inconvenience, in reality it's a pretty simple task. Your room is pretty much sel f -contained wi th a general organization and a manageable (in most cases!) amount of stuff to be dealt with.

But what happens when there is a big mess in the environment? Something like an oil spill, or a chemical spill, or radioactive waste? How does that get cleaned up? And, maybe more importantly, who does the cleaning?

Bioremediation is a process used to r e m o v e o r n e u t r a l i z e a n environmental contaminant or waste. The 'bio-' part refers to the biological organisms, which typically includes microscopic organisms, like fungi and bacteria. And, the '-remediation' part refers to remedying the situation.

With in the Earth 's b iosphere, microorganisms grow in the widest range of habitats. They grow in soil, water, plants, animals, deep sea vents, and arctic ice, just to name a handful . Their shear numbers (billions in a gram of soil, millions in a milliliter of water) and their appetite for a wide range of chemicals makes m i c r o o r g a n i s m s t h e p e r f e c t c a n d i d a t e f o r a c t i n g a s o u r environmental janitors.

Bioremediation can be performed on a personal level. For example, composing is something anyone can do, and it's a fantastic way to recycle.

Nutrients can be added to the soil to enhance bacterial degradation of contaminants and increase the rate of bioremediation on the brownfield site.

In some cases, microbes can break down pollutants to completely harmless by-products, like carbon dioxide and water. In other cases, microbes can change the structure of

the contaminant to make it harmless to humans and animals or change the solubility of the contaminant so that it can no longer mix into and move with water, effectively sequestering the contaminant and limiting human and animal exposure.

One example of bioremediation is the Deep Horizon oil spill in 2010. Incredible amounts of oil were spilled into the Gulf of Mexico. While humans mobilized massive containment and clean up efforts, at a microscopic scale, a much more important clean up was underway.

During and after the spill, scientists were tracking the oil contamination and taking samples to detect the activity and abundance of bacteria in the contaminated zone. Their analysis revealed a robust microbial response to the presence of the oil. Microbes, which were able to metabolize the oil, flourished and contributed significantly to the remediation of the contaminated zone. The microbial response was a key to limiting the environmental impact of the spill.

Bioremediation is a process used to treat contaminated media, including water, soil and subsurface material, by altering environmental conditions t o s t i m u l a t e g r o w t h o f microorganisms and degrade the target pollutants.

So, Bioremediation is an option that offers the possibility to destroy or r e n d e r h a r m l e s s v a r i o u s contaminants using natural biological activity. As such, it uses relatively low-cost, low-technology techniques, which generally have a high public acceptance and can often be carried out on site.

Mrs. S. ANITHA CAROLINE

HEADMISTRESS

Page 3SBOA MHSS, MDU

STEM CELLSStem cells are a class of undifferentiated cells that are able to differentiate into specialized cell types. Commonly, stem cells come from two main sources:

Ÿ Embryos formed during the blastocyst phase of embryological development (embryonic stem cells) and

Ÿ Adult tissue (adult stem cells).

Both types are generally characterized by their potency, or potential to differentiate into different cell types (such as skin, muscle, bone, etc.).

PotencyStem cells are categorized by their potential to differentiate into other types of cells. Embryonic stem cells are the most potent since they must become every type of cell in the body. The full classification includes:Ÿ TotipotentŸ PluripotentŸ MultipotentŸ Oligopotent Ÿ Unipotent

Research with stem cells

Scientists and researchers are interested in stem cells for several reasons. Stem cells extracted from embryos can be induced to become any desired cell type. This property makes stem cells powerful enough to regenerate damaged tissue under the right conditions. According to researchers stem cells can be effectively used for the following treatments:

Ÿ Organ and tissue regeneration

Ÿ Cardiovascular disease treatment

Ÿ Brain disease treatment

Ÿ Cell deficiency therapy

Ÿ Blood disease treatments

Mr. S. V. Karthikeyan

Academic Supervisor

RARE AND EXOTIC WILDLIFE SPECIES OF ANIMALSThe thick forests of India host some of the most exotic and rare wildlife species in the world.

The world is filled with endangered species of animals, many of which can be found in India. While some of these species are critically endangered, some are near threatened and some are even extinct. There are some species that are left in such few numbers that your next generation may not be able to ever see them, if nothing is done for their conservation. While we hope that more efforts are taken to conserve these species, here's a list of some endangered animals that you can find in different parts of India.

Mrs. M. Uma Mageshwari

Bengal Tiger

Snow Leopard

Nilgiri Tahr Indian Bison

Asiatic Lion

One Horned Rhinoceros

Page 4SBOA MHSS, MDU

BONSAI

The Chinese characters for their older dwarf potted tree

landscapes were adopted to name the Japanese art-form. In

short, the definition of Bonsai can be explained as:

“Bon” [left character] is a dish or thin bowl (“a modified vessel

which has been divided or cut down from a deeper form”).

“Sai” [right character] is a tree or other growing plant which is

planted – “planted,” as would be a halberd or spear or pike stuck

into the ground.

“Bonsai” thus means or denotes “a tree which is planted in a

shallow container".

Growing and caring for bonsai first appeared in China over a

thousand years ago, known as pun-sai. These early bonsai trees

had very sparse foliage and gnarled trunks that looked like

dragons, birds and other animals.

Growing and caring for bonsai quickly became a passion of many

and has found its way into the west. Bonsai trees are not only an

attractive conservation piece but also a benefit to your health for

many reasons.

HEALTH BENEFITS OF GROWING A BONSAI TREE

Ÿ Growing and tending to bonsai trees is a wonderful hobby and a great stress reliever.

Ÿ Bonsai trees require proper water, care, trimming, and fertilizing to be healthy. Constantly caring for your plant can help develop your patience.

Ÿ Working with nature, including bonsai trees, can help you become a more peaceful person.

Ÿ Indoor plants, including bonsai, can clean and help purify the air in your home or office.

Ÿ Bonsai can help you get over your cold. Plants grown indoors can help fight fatigue, coughs, and sore throats.

Ÿ Successfully growing and caring for a bonsai tree can leave you with a great sense of accomplishment which is very good for your health.

Mrs. D. Mercy Juliet

Page 5SBOA MHSS, MDU

The love Poem in biology(Don't worry, I'll be there) If you were a cell,I would guard you like epidermis;If you were to be a Phloem,I would be there as Xylem;If you decide to prepare food,I will act as chloroplast;If you wish to be a Protoplast,I will be your Plasma membrane;If you have a vacuole,I can be there as cytoplasm;If you want to mutate,I focus on locus of my Chromosome;If you get pneumonia,Don't worry; I turn myself into Penicillin;If you want to replicate,I will chase you like helicase;If you were Adenine, I would be your Thymine;If you were Guanine, I would be your Cytosine;If you are a RNA, I can be your ribose;If you are DNA, I can be your deoxyribose;And If you choose someone over me,I will be proudly serving as Ligase. Never worry..!

Mr. K. Ramesh

VIRGIN FRUITSFruits become seedless through a process known as Parthenocarpy, which means 'Virgin fruits'It is the process of producing fruits without fertilization. Parthenocarpy may occur naturally as a mutation or be induced artificially.

· Methods used to induce Parthenocarpy include artificial pollination with altered or dead pollen or by injecting fruit with synthetic chemicals. Phyto hormones like Auxins, Gibberellins and cytokinins are used in parthenocarpy methods. Seeds in some fruits can be rich source of nutrients. Fruits without small seeds cannot provide these benefits

· Parthenocarpy is advantageous in conditions where pollination is poor-for instance, during freezing temperature –which limits crop production. Furthermore, seeds in some fruits such as apples and apricots can contain small amounts of toxins such as cyanide. These seeds can be dangerous in large amounts or when chewed.

Negative effects: Sometimes virgin fruits are smaller and duller in appearance. some species such as cucumber can also be softer in texture, when produced through parthenocarpy.· Some Environmentalists are concerned that producing

seedless crops decreases biodiversity which reduces plant species resistance to diseases.

·�They also point out that transfer of genes from seedless crops may cause non-modified plants to become sterile or not produce seeds.

Mrs.S.LATHA POONKOTHAI