For the Joy of Writing

 "Why do you want to write?", asked a person to a little girl.

 The little girl could not come up with a clear answer. And there was a pause. The person who had asked the question answered, "Ok! I understand, it is because you want to be famous". The girl answered,"no I don't feel like I wish to be famous or admired". 

"This is only because I wish to write, I like to put words together see how sentences are made, how paragraphs are generated, this is it", she answered.

With his right hand on chin raised to an angle and his left hand tucking his waist,  startled he concluded, "so you like fiddling around with words".

"Yes, it is a kind of joy for me, it is more like playing, it is not a study thing. I enjoy it, my creativity oozes out, it is like building a sand apartment on the sea shore. You know, the joy of seeing it would last for minutes only. Till the time the rising tide is not in the scene on the shore. But you know, building it once will make your hands more skilled and the mind sharper for shaping sands in your next attempt in  house building on the shore", she explained.

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"So, it is for the joy of writing that I write". The man was satisfied and said, "but once you have written something, you must have readers for the stuff you've written".

"Yes, but I am in practice stage, I am a novice. I will come on road when I feel I can drive confidently. A confused driver makes the driver approaching him/her from the other side indecisive. It could invite an accident, she smiled as she spoke.

"But you need to come on road, to check you can drive well. I mean will you learn driving for the sake of driving itself. It has to have a purpose. It must lead you somewhere. You understand what I say."

"Um hmm", said she.

"So you must start a blog", suggested the man.

And you know what this is why many girls start writing.

I read an article in The Hindu which quoted Jeffrey Archer to have said that people wanted a simple story  and he does not write sex or violence but he sells.

It is seen that generally people look for a title in which such things are dramatised. But it must be a challenge for a writer to write such things, as it can put the writer's image at stake. For the sake of selling, you can't let others question your morality. 

Whatever, everything is abstract.

If fiction is abstract, so are the sciences. It doesn't mean that science is not real and it does not exist. Science is eternal. 

Science like love, emotions, feeling, ideas, theories, studies, memories is hard to decry.

My opinion matters, at least for my blog. During my training as a journalist in the leading english national daily of  North India, I was told that I should not give my opinion on issues written for public but views should appear from among  the public in general, in the form of quotations. 

I was told that my job as a reporter was only to frame sentences and decide  people whose quotations mattered. 

Once, I was mocked down by my seniour. He said that I should write academic books instead of writing reports. Later I did realise, reporting was not my niche'.

This is my nest, constructed with twines, scrappy little things. It is cozy. It has warmth, feels good to me. It is so familiar and it smells like me. Love this blog. Hope you love it too.

Publication 12/17

Today my article was published in the newspaper

Publication 12/11

I got published today!

Eggs & Sperms

'Egg' for a biology student can be the female gamete* (*A mature haploid  germ cell that is able to unite with another of the opposite sex) that is called 'ovum' and also 'zygote' which is the ovum fused with the 'sperm' or the male gamete. 

Eggs, the female gametes have always got lots of bags and baggage (in the form of cytoplasm), they are non motile unlike the male gamete which is highly motile, energetic (mitochondria or the powerhouse of the cell finds a unique modification in the form of acrosome and cytoplasm is negligible). (Refer the link to see how sperms are formed, their structure etc.,)

One among the faculty members at Department of Zoology, Ranchi University is a great teacher. He explains everything very nicely. Sitting in his class can be a wonderful experience. Main Point: EGGS. I have a habit of straying away from the topic.

Never mind this is going to help for our better understanding of steps. He says egg/ovum is a miniature girl and sperm is miniature boy. 

Now, in India, girls are clad with jewellery in the form of earrings, rings, chains etc, they have considerable amount in their purses and whenever they will go out of station they will take with them as much that can be taken :D.

But guys, they prefer moving with their hands without goods. Traveling without goods makes them much motile, they can have easy movement, contrary to the girls who have to take a good care of their goods. This has got an opposite side too, girls make sure that they have enough of everything so that they can sustain themselves but boys cannot.

This aspect can be observed in social structure too. Example is the institution of Marriage. Girls move to live with the boys family. So it is she and her family, in most of the cases who are responsible socially for the initial supply of resources from money to everything (house hold goods, comforts etc) for the formation of a social entity- the family.

The entire earth can be seen in a grain of sand. It does not matter how small a thing is. You can hold infinity in a second. If you wish too.

In next blog post I will discuss, 'Eggs in Invertebrates.'

Eyes in the Tail?

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Can eyes be in tails? No. I tell you, it can be. Better check. Well I am talking about the 'eyes' in the plumage of peacocks. You must have been fascinated by the resplendent colours of the peacocks tail, at least once in your life. If you have seen the dance of the male peacock, you must have been mesmerized.

Feathers of peacocks are used for decoration at homes in India. It is so much admired by people that patterns of peacock shape and feathers find a regular place in the motifs of sarees, kurtis and many times articles used in home decor. Lyrics portray the poets romantic mood in semblance with peacock dance.

Small girls keep the feathers of peacock in their notebooks , nourish it with chalk dust in their classrooms and believe one day they will duplicate. So that they could have two for one that they had cherished. Conservation fruits but  myths do not. I too was keen on getting my feathers doubled. Childhood! This is the time when candies can grow on trees :). Such innocence.

The way they have adapted with the changing scenario of the earth is commendable. They have survived dramatic climatic changes, predatory animals and man's destructive activities. Unlike small sparrows which has been put into red data list of IUCN, peacock continues to maintain its number, that is significant to not let it enter into the category of threatened species.

Why it has been so, as in why it continues to survive despite many adversities that are present. Is it because it is the bird of God? Scientists do not agree to the fact that as people love the bird, they choose to protect them. In Indian mythology it is believed that  peacock had dull feathers long ago, but  it helped Indra from the asura Ravana in a battle. So, in gratitude Indra made his feathers iridescent.

Females are generally seen to be ornamental, at least it is a must in India for them to be ornamental. A female is identified with ornamentation. Many accuse women not having sense of ornamentation to be 'non-males'. This is in context with the growing feminism, that was observed as a phenomenon in the past 100 years or so. But these birds, "Pride of India-Peacock", males exhibit biological ornaments-the iridescent feathers in its tail.

Peahens choose that male to be their potential mates which have numerous eyes in the tails. The more the number, the more healthier is the peacock. As in making the plumage body's energy is used and those who have all life-processes running on smoothly can only expend their energy in the making of the plumage. Females assure that this gene of 'of show off' is passed on to the up coming generation. Thus this admiration that the peacock gets is a tradition based on genetic selection- phenotypic  infact.

A New Fossil

Dinosaurs have fascinated mankind from the time they were discovered to have existed. Geologists everywhere are keen on finding fossils that can be cited resemblance with these dinosaurs. In Sindri, Dhanbad a fossil was found. BIT Sindri has claimed the fossil under the interference of Prof. Dr. G. Kumar.

People were excited in Sindri as was reported in the news report, as the fossil found resembled dinosaurs. Dinosaurs can get alive, what would happen after that, it is a general theme about which children fantasize. It is not possible or is it? A scientific wonder. It is quite evident from the response that Jurassic Park gets everytime it is released in the city. Dinosaurs are known to be kins of present day lizards.

Kumar said as reported in Dainik Jagran dated November 28, that this fossil can be a connecting link between dinosaurs and lizards. This species is extinct now. The fossil, he said would be sent to Vertebrate research Institute Chandigarh. Carbon dating method will reveal its time period during which it existed.

"The species can not be of dinosaurs as they existed in mesozoic era. (40-100 crore years ago). The fossil is 10 inches long and it resembles goh lizards larger than house lizards", said Prof Kumar.

Vinod Kumar from Sindri found the fossil in seven lakes, Sindri on monday and showed a great sense of responsibility in consulting the geologists.

 

As is evident, Universities in India are not much equipped with infrastructure to support basic research in Zoology as compared to places outside. We have miles to go.

True Essence of Diwali

It owes more to the fire than to the light that it illuminates.

Triumph of light over dark, good over evil, truth over lie is not the only essence of Diwali. Ever wondered why do people in India, Hindus basically, have mass lightening of earthen-lamps and that too in the same season i.e.; around october and november every year? Is Diwali, a day singled out to spread noise and sound pollution due to busting of crackers? 

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Bursting of crackers and the noise and sound pollution are the evil modifications that have found close association with the celebration. Almost all over the world crackers are exploded on some occasion. Why single out Diwali, when on USA day more crackers are burst. Diwali is not a practice that adds to pollution only. There is certainly some added significance behind the festival.

Reasons although are hidden but they have the capability to mold and structure the whole civilization. If any layman would face the same question his/her approach would be different, but people close to science would explain it differently. Notwithstanding the spiritual reasons to celebrate the festival of lights, there is a scientific fact behind.

The season is marked by the abundance of an insect called 'tiny leaf-hopper' of the family cycadilladae.  This insect feeds on plant sap and can transmit plant infecting viruses and bacteria. These insects are of sporadic occurrence in the rice grown areas. They have piercing and sucking type of mouth parts and are serious threat to rice cultivation as they have the capacity to transmit the virus disease of rice. Nymphs and adults both have the capacity to damage the crop.

 

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Rice is found to have a close association with every Hindu ritual.The great Indian sage Parashara has laid stress on essentiality of rice cultivation and sung in his treatise called 'Krishi Parashar', "Rice is vitality, rice is vigour too and rice is indeed the fulfillment of all ends of life. Gods, demons and human beings all subsist on rice."

The wise sages in order to protect the civilization from starvation, as rice is the principle crop in the subcontinent, devised a method. Now, if people who are ignorant are explained scientific facts, they would never understand as you should have the receptors, there in your brains to receive something that can act as stimuli ;). 

So they found religion as a weapon to execute their motive. They said because King Rama has arrived in the kingdom and his rule has been established once again, so to welcome him every house must light earthen lamps. People approved as King Rama had his influence on people far and wide due to his policies that were just and morally proved. 

Every year the same event was practiced to remember his arrival marked by the victory and justice that was established. The sages as wise they were, thus were successfully removing the insect from the environment, as we know insects are attracted to the fire and are killed. So, this event is marked by the mass killing of insects- tiny leaf-hoppers and mosquitoes chiefly, that are abundant during the same season every year, and pose a challenge to crop cultivation there upon human nutrition.

Present day concern is that people have stopped lightening earthen lamps, to find themselves more comfortable or at mark with the lifestyle fashion. You must have seen the electric bulbs and lamps that are on display before Diwali, in the markets. Do these electric lightening equipments serve the purpose? Certainly not. People must realize it is not only in the the light, but there is certainly more than light. It owes more to fire than to the light that it illuminates.

Happy Diwali.! 

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Happy Learning and Happy Blogging!

Ranchi Conference

Recently, i.e., from Friday to Sunday of the week that passed NEA (National Environmentalists Association, India) organized it's 4th International Conference On Anthropogenic Impact on Environment and Conservation Strategy (ICAIECS 2012). 

As many as 400 delegates from across the country and outside graced the grand inauguration function at Aryabhatt Hall at Ranchi University, Ranchi.

Human Resource Development Minister, Shri Baidyanath Ram was the chief guest. The programme was jointly hosted by Department of Zoology, R.U. and Department of Biological Sciences, St. Xaviers College, Ranchi- an autonomous college affiliated to R.U., Ranchi.

Dr. M.C. Dash, the renowned ecologist from Orissa was given Lifetime Achievement Award. As many as 12 fellowships were awarded.

Prof MC Dash, in his statuesque lecture laid stress on conservation of biodiversity. He said that forest cover in India is not uniform in every state. Some regions do not have the optimum land covered with forests. H e highlighted the importance of herbs and medicines, that play an important role in the life of the locals living here and urged the need to have sufficient forest cover so that they could be conserved. He said despite the laws that are framed to protect and conserve biodiversity, they are not properly executed.

Dr M.P. Sinha, secretary NEA, explained the essence of Green Technology in combating pollution that can arise due to to enhanced production activities. He outlined how destruction of green vegetation  leads to a bad impact on the environment on the earth as a whole.

Father Debrower, from St. Xavier's College, Ranchi also spoke on the issue and said how problems of Ranchi city has changed as time has passed. Initially media reported smoking is injurious, then flooded drains due to poly-bags became the news, then problem arising due to mining.And the present day environmental concerns are different entirely enhanced in multitude.

Chief Guest Baidyanath Ram highlighted how our neighboring country China invited destruction in the name of its development.The nation  had to face bad impacts on its climate as it had removed the clouds, by chemical means from its sky to successfully organise the commonwealth games.

Dr. M Prasad, Head of the Department, Department of Zoology, presented the vote of thanks.

Overall, the event was  successful, as both the campuses were glittering with vibrant faces. Undergrads of St. Xaviers did a commendable job in successfully volunteering the event. Ranchi needs such programmes. Research institutes in Ranchi, IINRG, Indian Institute of Gums and Resins,  C.T.R. & T.I., Nagri, Ranchi Central Tasar Research Institute and Training Institute actively participated in the conference. As many as 500 abstracts were accepted for presentation in the conference. 

My Memory Note 

I got an opportunity to present two papers in the conference. I am very delighted to tell, you might feel. 

Yes I was very happy, as I could do it. It was first chance after all. While answering the question that were posed on me, I was feeling like I was defending myself. 

Being defensive should be avoided, I realized before answering to the questions. 

Had I not realized, you can imagine what could have happened! Ha Ha :)  You grow up everyday. It was fantastic.

The church at St. Xaviers, college looks beautiful! And mother Mary is serene.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches can make life unbearable by merely appearing in the dream. The thought of a cockroach in the shoe to be worn, in the plate or flying in the room at night can irritate a person. How little they take to make life unbearable.

They are the most resilient species on earth. But are constantly underestimated by human beings. People have noticed them and their image as evident in comic books, magazines and other records; speak how they prevail in the cultures across the globe.

They are fascinating, sometimes we don't even realize. The cockroach poses a special challenge to our capacity to feel compassion, like we feel for other animals specially the wild. Do they need our sympathy? Certainly not, as they have already survived for 300 million years, or so.

When I am into kitchen and  as I see cockroaches around like anyone who loves cleanliness, I shake my head and say, "of what on earth are cockroaches made of?" They are relentless, they will survive after every attempt you take to get rid of them. But can their increasing number be accounted as growth? Answer is plain - 'No!'

Increase in  crime is never a growth similarly increase in number of pests like cockroaches and other insects can't be accounted as growth. Ethics is the watchword here. Any change that is desired for the progress of mankind/individual is the growth of mankind/individual.

We can relate their survival strategies so that we can celebrate life. As every life that survives on earth is a proof of unremitting willingness to live. We must adhere to shoulder important responsibilities.Not just to speak but act, in order to exhibit what the change entails in our growth.

Keep growing with me!

To keep them away from Kitchen...

Boric Acid powder and 'maida' should be mixed in equal quantities so that the mixture is spoonful.The mixture taken should be mixed with water. Caution: it should be tight.Very small balls should be made from the spoonful dough and left to dry. The dried balls should be kept in the kitchen shelves, cooking-grill, microwave at night. So that when the cockroach that is tempted to eat it, eats then dies.

Saat Bhai

Seven sisters is an English translation to- 'Sat Bhai', a group of birds that forage together in a group of five to six. They are very notorious and at times bold and loud creatures. It happened that I had to stay for fifteen days in my village. I noticed a change, sparrows were not there.

As a child when I used to visit my paternal grand parents when my grandmother was alive, I could find them in our premises. I was puzzled sparrows gone and what are these birds. After sometime I realised as she used to throw grains on the roof, sparrows came. And now they had abandoned our home because she had left for the heavenly abode.

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Anyways, these seven sisters, they are better called, 'Sath Bhai', in local languages in India are Jungle babblers. Gregarious dusky birds, these babblers are very social- can tolerate other species also.

I remember lines that are recited in a hindu puja- Godhan, local name of Govardhan Puja in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.

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 "Saton Bhaiyya gaye Bidesh, Anjhul royein beech bane"

Translated as- "Seven brothers have left for foreign land and Anjhul cries in the forest".

This a painful story of Anjhul, an only sister of seven brothers. She is tortured by her sister in laws when her brothers used to leave their home for some foreign land to earn. She is told to do difficult tasks by her wicked sister-in-laws called 'bhabhis' in hindi. Whenever she is given a difficult task she gets out into the forest and cries for her brothers. Then these birds: 'sat-bhai', would listen to her weeping and help her. Whenever Anjhul was troubled she used to cry, and the birds would sing aloud to call  creatures to help her, "Saton Bhiyya gaye Bidesh Anjhul royein beech bane".

How nature is embedded in Indian customs is commendable. It would prove to be a wide leap in conserving biodiversity, if a serious try is considered to follow what is being practiced since time immemorial.

Ameliorating Agent or Agonist?

Ameliorating agents, Agonists,  Antagonists are words that are used when action is being talked of. They can be close in action and sometimes can cause a clouded understanding.

The difference between the three words were asked by a faculty member to a research scholar during her presentation at Zoology Department, R.U. Her thesis intends to show how Pan-Masala can be toxic and cardamom can act as an ameliorating agent. 

Whenever toxicity caused by a specific chemical agent is talked of measures to cure toxicity caused is of prime importance.

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Like if snake venom is being talked of, its antidote becomes the primary concern. Similarly whenever Pan Masala is talked of elaichi (Cardamom) is not talked of?  Wondering why?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    
Yes, because it (active principle in cardamom) does not act on ingredients of pan-masala present in human tissues after mastication prior to absorption in the body. 

Meaning thereby, unlike antidote of snake venom which acts on the snake venom present in the blood, cardamom does not targets pan masala ingredients present in blood or any other tissue whatsoever.



Instead, it helps to improve the damage caused to the tissues due to pan-masala. It brings back the healthy condition from the diseased state present earlier. So cardamom has an ameliorating effect.

Chew cardamoms!

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Granth Gyan

Ameliorating Agents: Agents which act to relieve the ills and change for the better..

Agonists: A drug or other chemical that can combine with a receptor on the cell to produce a physiologic action typical of a natural occurring substance.

Antagonists: A drug or other chemical that does not provoke biological response upon binding to a receptor but dampens agonist mediated responses.

Muscles are mostly agonist and antagonistic, they work in pairs.

P.S. Granth Gyan is gyan (knowledge) given free by the blogger. :)

Juvenile or Immature?

'Juvenile' and 'immature', the terms can be confused. BTW are you confused? There was a question made by one of the faculty members at R.U.to a research scholar during her mid term PhD presentation.

Her work is on tillage, on how tillage affects earthworm population. Her findings were explained in terms of the varying quantity of juvenile and immature forms of earthworm after a certain time in the collection from both the fields placed closer and monitored closely.

More juveniles were found in the plot were tillage occurred. I am not to explain her results. It is her discretion.There is research paper on how tillage effects earthworm population. Go through if you like to.

“Anyways what is the difference between them?’’, as one of the faculty members asked her. She explained it in terms of the scale of their body lengths.  I will try to explain what the basic difference is.

 

David James says Juvenile birds are by definition immature birds, but immature birds are not necessarily juvenile.

Etymologically ‘juvenile’  is an adjective derived from a Latin word juvenilis meaning a young person or of ‘belonging to youth’.

  
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Remember “Peter Pan, the boy who would not grow”, J.M. Berries play. This play is available online. The hero, Peter, was immature because he would never age.

Birds which are not covered with feathers, or unfledged are immature. Mark the word ‘unfledged’ which do not have feathers. So, fledglings that are unfledged are immature.

A sophomore is immature. Sophomore is regarded as self assured and opinionated but crude and immature. ‘Sophomore’ word in Indian context is less used. But those who have read Princess Diaries must know Mia. Mia was a sophomore, a fifteen-year-old tenth grade private school student. So she was immature.

Childish people are immature. So Peter Pan was childish that is why he was immature. Immature people are having the delicacy of youth, they are tender- hearted. And now this word to all of you: You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds. This I am not saying, Bible says.

Still not clear. According to Juvenile Justice Act, a commonly known child law, "juvenile" or "child" means a person who has not completed eighteenth year of age. Recently a juvenile murder  was in news in Bihar, when Mr. Lalu and Mr. Paswan called upon a Bihar Bandh and their supporters destroyed public property mercilessly. What a shame on their part. 

After the boy was found, who was allegedly murdered, people who look for exploiting situations surfaced like earthworms that come out when we tap feet on earth in rainy season. Here we realize that juveniles are also teenage people and immature are also teenage people.

But immature are those people who would not mature into adults and juveniles are those who will mature into adults. 

Similarly earthworm, we know they regenerate when cut into two.They can grow into two,when cut? Wonderful! natural phenomenon. Poor we! 

We don’t grow into two. Neither do they. The part of earthworm’s body which has got clitellum grows and the other which does not have, is worn out. The part when cut must have at least the clitellum and ten body segments to grow into a complete worm.

At one time in earthworm population in any mound, immature and matures are found. But after rains occurred juveniles and semi-matures are found. This happens because matures die after reproduction in august. So, semi-matures are more numerous in September.

The word immature should not have been used in this context. It is vague. Semi-mature is the word instead. Juveniles are smaller than immature. Immature, that is being talked about is earthworm sexually semi mature and juveniles are worms that have hatched from the cocoons. 

Species to species size varies, therefore depth of their burrow also varies. Adults, which scale larger in length, are found at depth in the cross section of the soil taken, when sampling is done. But juvenile and semi-matures are found near the soil cover, not much deeper as in earlier case.

So immature are sexually semi-mature earthworm that are larger than juvenile forms; i.e., those earthworms that have hatched recently from their cocoons.

In rainy season try tapping the earth with your feet. Small earthworms, both juveniles and immatures  will come out after feeling the vibrations!